Legends, Book One: Maximum Carnage
by Justin Anderson
Summary: Legends begins. A series that looks into the reformation of Cletus Kasady. He must make use of his new sense of honor, in a tainted web of lies, hate, evil, and deceit, while confronting an ancient spirit and his own former self.
1. Issue 1


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 1
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    Our story begins in February, the year 2001. It is Tuesday the 6th, approximately 7:30
    in the evening. All that can be seen is a dark room, lit by the windows in the large double
    doors. All we can see are the tables inside, covered with various pieces of lab equipment.
    This is one of the laboratory facilities in the 19th floor of the Jacobs Research Labs, a
    large facility on the outskirts of Manhattan. This lab is responsible for genetic research-
    study of genes, their structure, purpose, and other areas- classified areas. The public
    only knows so much; after all, only floors 1-5 are open to the public. Not even the FDA knows
    everything about what goes on here.
    Only one man knows that- he is Aram Wilson Jacobs, one of the world's most intelligent
    scientists. Rich beyond what most of us will ever earn in our lifetimes, his 258 IQ has
    brought about numerous discoveries in the field of genetics. Including one field that is
    of interest to him. And if he's on the right track, this field could lead to one of the
    greatest discoveries of mankind's history. But he doesn't care about helping mankind.
    Only he knows why he works. And shortly, his plans will erupt into this world.....and many
    lives will be forever changed.
    Jacobs stood in the dark lab, waiting. The wait was over. The doors flew open. Two of
    his loyal security guards marched in, carrying a man bound in several restraints. Thrown to
    the floor, the cloth over his head was pulled off. Now things start to get complicated- the
    man is Cletus Kasady; known otherwise as Carnage. But not even Kasady is a danger. The
    marks on his face and torso indicate why. He's been beaten within inches of his own life.
    The drugs have also seen to keeping him still.
    "Welcome"
    Kasady looked up. "Who....the hell...," he asked, weakly. Jacobs walked into the light.
    He wasn't afraid. Kasady was drugged and beaten. His guards had their rifles pointed at the
    killer. And even if that failed, he doubted even one of the sharp symbiotic blades could
    pierce his long black coat- a long, black coat made from a bullet-proof polymer. Jacobs
    always took strict measures to ensure his safety. "Mr. Cletus Kasady," he began, "You are
    soon going to be part of something... _grand_. You are going to help me achieve something
    that man has hoped for- eternal life".
    He sneered, finally managing, "Why...should I....". Before he could finish, Jacobs smashed
    his fist across Kasady's face hard. The force knocked him backward several feet, onto his
    back. He could barely move. Jacobs took the chance to clamp a large bracelet onto the dazed
    killer's wrist. Kasady managed to pull himself up to his knees within a few minutes. "Hey...
    what's with the-". Jacobs pressed a button on a small remote. An electric shock pulsed
    through Kasady's body. The killer fell unconscious.
    "...wake up..."
    Kasady came to. He was strapped to a table. A defibrillator sat on a cart next to him.
    "Now then... now that you know what your wrist gauntlet can do, it would be advisable you
    do as I say," Jacobs explained. "The next time, it may be too _late_ to give you a shock.
    And don't ever think of trying to remove it. Breaking the connection will be worse than if
    I press the button. And in case you're thinking of killing me for the remote, several of my
    guards have duplicates. Besides, only I can remove it. **Understand?**" Kasady shook his
    head meagerly. "Good."
    He turned to several doctors nearby. "Give him stimulants and treatment. I want to prepare
    him in an hour." Jacobs left to prepare the _grand tour_.
    8:45 PM
    The elevator door to the 20th floor opened. Two guards forced Cletus out at gunpoint.
    Jacobs stood several feet away, watching the men. "Welcome to the top floor of Jacobs
    Research Labs," he explained. "Here is where I hope... no, **await** the day all this
    hard work pays off. Come." The guards pushed Kasady forward. They walked up to a locked
    door. "Put this on," he demanded as he threw each man a filtration mask. "Wouldn't want
    to catch anything nasty, would we?"
    Jacobs swiped a key card through the security lock. The door opened. "Leave us. You
    don't have a reason to see what's inside," ordering the guards. They lowered their weapons
    and left. After they were out of sight, he pushed the door open. Both men entered. Inside
    was a long corridor. Lining the sides were rooms with large lexan doors, each locked.
    Inside were various genetic freaks. "Big deal, you have a mutant zoo," Carnage spouted,
    clearly not impressed.
    "No, not a zoo, Cletus. **Experiments**. These are the failures," Jacobs explained,
    clearly displeased. Kasady noticed that as the hall went on, the mutations were fewer for
    each individual. The worst was a writhing pile of animal parts. The least severe was a man
    with octopus tentacles for arms, and a sickening white skin. "_Failure_ would be putting
    it lightly. What kind of _experiments_, anyway?," he inquired.
    "You'll soon find out."
    They continued on. Cletus saw many empty rooms. He figures the experiments weren't
    quite over. He also figures this is where he fit in. At the end, more double doors.
    Inside, numerous lab technicians were hard at work. Both men entered. "You can use your
    symbiote with that on. Go ahead," Jacobs suggested. Kasady displayed his symbiote, aside
    from his head, and the left wrist gauntlet, which blocked the symbiote with a mild
    microwave field.
    "Cletus. You will be a part of all of this. You will be a large help to me," Jacobs
    explained, "How? As you could tell from our little walk, I am out of test subjects. I
    need more. You will get them for me." Cletus stared at him, simply going, "...heh?" "You
    heard me," Jacobs screamed. "Why me? Shocker too busy?"
    Jacobs straightened himself. He didn't want to lose his temper. Not at the risk of
    breaking a tube of necessary liquids. "Erm, no," he replied. "You are a known serial killer.
    Our phony prison transfer was just a cover. Technically, you escaped. I need you to collect
    subjects for me. As it is, missing persons reports are becoming too many. I can no longer
    risk sending my men out. It's also the reason I have to keep my failed tests. **Nothing** can
    get out about what I am doing! I can barely allow my guards to leave the facility. I and
    the other scientists have to live here to keep it a secret. If one of my men is caught
    kidnapping people off the street, it could be traced back. And the experiments are not
    finished.
    This is where you fit in. If a lot of people disappear because of you, well, you gain
    all the suspicion. The police assume they're all dead, so they won't look for these people.
    And I only need a few more. I'm close to achieving my goals here."
    Kasady stared at him. "You lost me..."
    Jacobs was losing his temper quickly. "Cletus, I should explain. I have found
    something... wonderful. I was able to prove that aging could be stopped. That life could
    never end. And even by study of mutant genetics, even tissue regeneration. However, I
    have not perfected the change. The catalyst I need to attach itself to the DNA strands is
    not perfected. If I were to use it now, I would mutate, and die. I have perfected the DNA
    attachment, yes, but not the effects. But I am close. Regeneration is achieved. The most
    recent test even survived being shot in the head!"
    Cletus was becoming more and more interested the more he heard. "Now, all I must do
    is perfect the frozen aging and prevent mutation. I anticipate only a few more weeks of
    work on this. Then..." "_Then?_" Well, I doubt you're gonna market the stuff, but
    tell me anyway!"
    "THEN," Jacobs said, trying to calm himself, "I inject myself and my loyal servants. Then,
    this world, this existence... will all belong to me. Why don't I deserve it? I am
    intelligent, rich, and have managed to unlock many secrets. I have not received much for
    what I have accomplished. I think I deserve it. Even if I don't, I'm taking it. And you...
    you play your cards right, you will be rewarded"
    Cletus was no longer upset. The beatings, druggings... if immortality was a possibility,
    with a chunk of the world attached, well, this guy could smack him around all he wanted.
    Jacobs looked him in the eye. "Now, Cletus. Tomorrow... you go hunting!"
    Wednesday, February 7. 10:16 AM
    Jack Arden was below average. He had lost his family when he was only eight. His
    grandfather, and only living relative, had died when he was seventeen. For the past 4
    years, he had been a professional drifter. Part time jobs were his specialty. When you
    had a partial third grade education, the high paying jobs were not asking for you. He
    currently resided in an old apartment deep in Queens. A rat-infested dump he called home.
    Today, he had some money. Money was a rarity to him. Low-paying jobs, coupled with
    the fact he had been declared dead after the house fire, only those who didn't ask
    questions were his bosses. His recent job was delivery for a local drug dealer. He didn't
    use the stuff himself, but he wasn't picky about what he did, as long as it wasn't
    perverted or involved killing. Besides, he didn't ask questions. Shame his employer was
    hit in a drive-by. Oh well, back to looking.
    He sat at a table in a small eatery in Manhattan. Munching on a ham sandwich, he
    thumbed through the Daily Bugle. _'More Spider-Man stories....more on Bush....Peanuts comic
    replaced....Daily Bullcrap is more like it'_, he thought to himself. His thoughts were
    the only thing in order today. That, and the semi-fresh clothes he had just purchased.
    Shame his apartment had no running water, or he could have bathed. Outside, he saw the bus
    pull up. Stuffing the sandwich in his mouth, he got up, tossed the paper, and left. He
    crawled onto the public bus and paid the fare. He didn't notice the driver. Sitting down,
    he took his ride as a chance to rest for a while until he hit Brooklyn. Hot tip about
    someone hiring to make deliveries. Deliveries of what, he didn't know...nor did he care.
    It was a paying job.
    But not today. The bus didn't drive the usual route. It took Jack a few minutes to
    realize something was wrong. It passed up the next stop. The driver turned his head. His
    suit mutated into a red costume. Carnage. The killer, laughing, muttered, "Okay, kiddies!
    We're going on a ride! No getting off, no stops. **Enjoy** your ride! Hee hee!"
    Jack knew who Carnage was. And with Carnage in the driver's seat, he knew he wasn't
    getting that job. Nor was anyone else on board doing anything. Oh well. he figured, at
    worst, he'd die. And even that had the advantage of him not having to worry about
    getting through the day. Not that he wasn't trying to figure out an escape. But the
    window would take too long to open, and he's be speared before he reached the emergency
    door. He could only hope a police car would follow in pursuit.
    But Carnage was driving the speed limit and had gone back to human. No way to send
    a signal either. Not without getting himself killed, anyway. And he didn't see the
    need to risk his own life for strangers. They'd never helped him, after all. He sat
    back in his seat and closed his eyes, knowing whatever happened, he still had to wait.
    


	2. Issue 2


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 2
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    The bus continued on. They were now outside the city limits. Kasady pulled the
    bus to a dead stop. He picked up the radio microphone, reporting, "All right, I'm
    here". "Excellent. Now, I can only use white males for my experiments. Dump those
    who aren't. Kill those you dump. I want no one talking," the voice responded. "You
    got it," he said, rising from his seat. Kasady opened the bus doors.
    "Now....white men, to the back!" Jack had an idea about that was happening. It
    involved a white supremacist movement. Except for one piece of the puzzle....one
    piece didn't fit. From what he'd heard, Carnage killed all people. Why would he play
    favorites now? Thinking about it kept him from having to watch Carnage slaughter
    everyone else on board. A woman and her child, an old man, everyone who wasn't a white
    male. Still, he figured he was safe... for a while. Safe enough for a nasty insult.
    "What is this... working for the Klan? I thought everyone was a target?" He wished
    he had kept his trap shut. Carnage walked up to him, in his blood red glory. His face
    right in Jack's, large white eyes staring the young man down. A mouth of teeth that
    could swallow the boy's head in one bite."...if my boss didn't need you, I'd _chew_ on
    you for dessert..."
    Carnage walked to the front. Body dumping... something Jack didn't want to picture,
    except he was watching the real thing. He only hoped he could keep his sandwich down.
    None of the other seven men in the back with him were looking around either. They were
    all shaking in terror. _'I don't seem to share their fear of dying. Just their
    disgust over this. Maybe I'm becoming too apathetic...'_, he thought to himself.
    His thoughts kept him together. If he could keep a straight head in all of this, he
    might just survive.
    Carnage stepped back on the bus and closed the doors. The bus drove off again. To where,
    Jack could only guess.
    12:03 PM, Jacobs Research Labs, first floor
    Several reporters and cameramen had gathered in the lobby of the research building.
    Jacobs himself was holding a press conference. Among the reporters was a man named Peter
    Parker, reporter for the Daily Bugle. He didn't exactly care for the story, but with the
    dry spell on hard stories lately, he had no choice. There were the missing persons reports,
    but while Spider-Man would normally jump on the chance, there was nothing to go on. So he
    saw no need to waste the time just yet. Not until something came up that would warrant some
    investigation.
    The crowd came to a hush. Jacobs himself, with two of his guards in business uniforms,
    stood at the podium. Jacobs stood at an even six feet, six inches, his short black hair
    gleaming in the artificial ceiling lights. The blue floor matched his eyes. A look that
    could bring any crowd to a standstill. "Greetings, men and women of the press. I have
    called you here today so that you may pass on word of a new discovery. A discovery that
    has taken years to achieve. But one that will change the way the world works. The years
    were long, but well worth it."
    He held up a test tube full of a green liquid. "I give to you, experimental drug
    FG-90640. Test name 'Immunozide'. It will bring new hope to the sick and dying, and to
    common man. It has the capability to boost the immmune system greatly. No longer will
    you suffer from the cold, the flu, or worry about cancer. It cannot cure all diseases,
    or prevent them. But it gives you a better change against most," Jacobs explained. The
    crowd erupted in a loud roar. "Now, now....one at a time. Yes, you, the man in the front."
    Peter Parker just happened to be the man in the front.
    Hesitating, he finally managed, "I have a question which I believe needs answering.
    Several people have disappeared over the past few months in the area. Would you have
    any idea what's happening?" Jacobs's goons started towards Parker. He knew he could
    get into trouble for asking, but it was a risk he had to take. Before the guards could
    take two steps, however, Jacobs stopped them.
    "Regardless of what anyone may think, I believe it's a fair question. And yes, it
    deserves a reply. I am aware of the reported disappearances, however, I can assure you,
    I am not involved in any way. We do use human test subjects in our research, but they are
    all hired as such. They volunteer, and if they agree to any potential risks, then they
    do so as they see fit. They are well compensated, and we have never had any mishaps
    during these tests. I do not blame you for asking. If I were you, I would have asked the
    same question. You should be commended for not holding back. Now, any others?"
    The questions proceeded over the next half hour. Routine stuff, mainly. People wanting
    to know more about this 'miracle drug'. Parker wasn't paying much attention. Somehow, the
    answer didn't settle the issue for him. But something did catch his attention. Through
    one of the large front windows, a public transportation bus could be seen pulling up into
    the large parking lot. Parker thought it odd the bus continued on past the front of the
    building via the side road.
    Volunteers he could understand, but not coming in by a bus like that! Even if the bus
    had been placed on a special route, Parker's senses were tingling like mad. It never
    lied. It would only go off if something was happening. Seeing that most, if not all, of
    the room's occupants weren't looking, Parker snuck to the back and crept out of the
    front doors. With no one around, he leapt into the air and stuck to the wall. He pulled
    his mask out of his pocket and put it on in case anyone were to see him. He crept around
    the building until he could see what was going on.
    The bus doors opened. Out stepped the driver. Parker recognized the man, but could not
    believe it. _'...**CARNAGE?!**'_
    Parker knew something terrible was going down. But he also knew he was helpless
    to fight. He'd be killed. He wasn't worried about Carnage; he'd taken out Kasady on
    his own before. What worried him was Jacobs. If Kasady was working for him, he'd be
    facing down hundreds of armed guards. Not here, of course- he'd be knocked out and
    taken prisoner. Jacobs would try to keep it quiet. But why Carnage?
    His answer would have to wait. All he could do was take a few pictures as the bus
    was unloaded and the passengers forced along. "Just hope no one sees me," he muttered
    to himself. After snapping a few shots, he climbed down and behind a bush. Security
    guards were nearby. The last thing he wanted was an announcement as to where he was!
    With the guards looking the other way, he snuck along the side of the building. Parker
    appreciated how slim the building was, despite being tall. Near the front corner, he
    pulled off his mask. At least here, he could say he was waiting outside. But what to
    do? He could show the pictures to Jameson... but even if Jameson bought them, he
    wouldn't run them. Too risky. The paper could get into trouble for slander, or worse.
    Parker took a look around. It wasn't a bad setup; inside the 20 foot tall wall
    surrounding the facility, you had a few parking spaces, a front sidewalk, and an
    area on the opposite side with grass and some other plant life. Maybe a small pool
    of water, he couldn't tell from this distance. And the large steel gate which served
    to keep the world out. The main visitor's parking was outside the wall, of course.
    Aside from two visible vehicles, the inner lot was empty.
    "Hey, buddy."
    Parker almost jumped out of his skin. It was a security guard. "Too crowded in
    there, huh?" He replied, "Uhh... yeah, actually. I wanted some fresh air". The guard
    had no suspicions. At least, nothing apparent. "Listen, if you want to leave, I'll open
    the gate for you." Parker took him up on the offer. Walking over, the guard slid his
    key card in the panel and entered a few numbers. The large door slowly swung open.
    One of Jacobs's bodyguards received a message over a small earphone. Whispering into
    Jacobs's ear, he took the microphone and announced the end of the press conference. As
    the crowd dispersed, the goons helped Jacobs to the front of the building and into the
    long side hall, into one of the elevators. "I take it our new helper succeeded," Jacobs
    asked. "He did, sir."
    "Excellent!"
    The elevator stopped at the 16th floor. Stepping off, another one of his men handed
    him the long black coat he often wore. Not too far away, Carnage stood with the men
    he'd captured. "Okay... good enough, I guess. Prepare them," he ordered. Jacobs walked
    off, with Kasady right behind him. The guards took the eight men off, Jack in the
    middle. They were taken into a large room. Before anyone could say anything, water
    sprayed out from the floor, ceiling, and walls. A fairly hard blast which soaked each one.
    After a few minutes of this, the water shut itself off. This was so the vents could blow
    warm air into the room, drying each man off.
    "Cleaning us up....why?", a voice from beind asked. Jack turned to the source. He had
    hardly noticed the man on the bus; mid-forties, he guessed. Long red hair. Not very tall.
    Jack at least felt he could reply- after all, he didn't want to spend his last days in
    silence. "Sir... I have no idea. I don't get any of this. I thought maybe it was some white
    supremacist thing at first... but now..."
    The man responded, "Well, don't worry about it, boy. Just wait for me to make my move.
    We'll all get out of this soon!" The others had heard. Fear slowly turned to hope. But no
    one was sure what would happen. Still, they'd hoped it was something good. The door
    opened and a few guards poured in. They motioned for the captives to move out. Right now,
    a unanimous decision to follow was agreed on in silence. 'Play along' they thought. They
    were going to break out soon enough. Several steps onward, the red haired man in front
    made his move. His eyes lit up, ad beams shot out, striking one of the guards. The others
    in front were hit in the same manner.
    "A mutant," the guards screamed. Jack could hardly believe it. They had a weapon. The
    man turned and hit the guards in the back of the line. "Don't worry, they'll live," he
    assured. Jack knew what he had to do. He and a few others grabbed the dropped guns.
    They started towards the elevator, knowing if they reached that, they may get out alive.
    As they reached the turn in the hall, the mutant was stopped cold. A blade pierced
    through his chin and out the back of his head. Carnage had caught them.
    _'...no escape now...'_
    He dropped the rifle... and he dropped to the floor from the sight of a man, whom he
    saw as a savior, slaughtered unexpectedly. As he slipped into blackness, he heard one
    final message; "Take the rest and test them. I want none of those genetic freaks ruining
    my experiments!"
    9:56 PM, Central Park
    A man sat on one of the benches. He was a fairly good sized man, with short blond hair.
    He once lived in this city. Once, before he became host to an alien being. His name was
    Eddie Brock- Venom. He had returned since life on the west coast was getting too regular
    for him. His symbiotic heroic half liked this town. Lots of super villains to keep him
    busy. Oh, he didn't care much for the surroundings or company, but it kept him occupied.
    The Daily Bugle building did little to ease him; he worked their once before Peter
    Parker....no, just before he lost his job there. He didn't like to think about it. Too
    bad for Eddie. Parker walked up to him and sat down.
    "I heard you were back in town" Brock simply shouted, "What is it, Parker? I'm _not_
    in the mood". Eddie was one of the few who knew Parker's secret. His symbiote was once
    bonded with Spider-Man, and that fact carried over. Just because symbiotes had no bones
    or organs didn't mean they were dumb. "No time for pleasantries. Take a look," Parker
    said as he handed the photos over. Eddie looked at them. The images slapped him in the
    face. "You sure?"
    "Yes, Eddie. I saw it today. Something big is happening, and that maniac is a part of
    it". Eddie Brock hated Parker, to a degree. But Carnage... his symbiotic spawn and former
    cellmate... it brought his hatred to a boil. Carnage had killed so many, because he had a
    piece of the Venom costume. "**Where?**".
    Parker answered, "Jacobs Research Labs. I couldn't do anything today. Too many people,
    too many guns." "All right... it can't wait. You know that, Parker". "I do. I told Mary
    Jane not to wait up, but..." he muttered, quietly. "No need to explain." Eddie knew what
    Parker was going to say. He didn't show Mary Jane the photos. No need to worry her. She
    worried enough when he faced down some common super-powered maniac like Electro or Mysterio.
    "Get your suit and equipment together. We hit this place at midnight!"
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	3. Issue 3


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 3
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    10:38 PM, Dr. Kafka's office
    Dr. Ashley Kafka sat at her desk, the small lamp the only source of light. She was
    trying to get some paperwork done before it had to be in tomorrow morning. Medication
    forms, transfer forms.... the usual stuff. And she still had psychotherapy reports to
    look over on incoming inmates. Things had been complicated when Ravencroft shut down.
    They got even worse when they had to move again recently. Most inmates had to be kept
    under tight security, and moving them around like baggage didn't help.
    But one thing concerned her... the transfer of one recent prisoner. Carnage. Men from
    a facility in Washington wanted him for research. She objected from the start. Not
    only due to the complications of moving him, but she also held some compassion for
    the man. She saw hope in curing him. She also didn't want him cut up like a dead frog.
    But it was out of her hands. The authorization on the forms outranked any say she had.
    She had to sit back and let it happen. She not only hoped he'd be all right... but that
    these people could keep him from getting loose.
    A knock at the window behind her broke her concentration. Odd there'd be a knock on
    the 7th story window. She wasn't surprised to see Spider-Man outside. She got up from
    the plush office chair and opened the window for him. "Spider-Man... what brings you
    here?", she asked. The wall-crawler made his way in. "Doc... we have some bad news".
    "We?", she inquired.
    Venom crawled in and planted himself firmly on the ceiling. "Take a look at these
    pictures I took earlier," he explained. She took the pictures from his hand. It only
    took a few seconds for her to recognize the man in the pictures. "I knew it... I knew
    something wasn't right." Both heroes looked at each other in confusion. She grabbed
    the papers from her desk. Both men took copies.
    "I knew something was going on! Doc... these are phony. And I know who forged them,"
    he told her. "This is worse than we thought! Spider-Man, wait outside a minute".
    "I can't do that, Venom," he told the symbiote. "Spider-Man... trust me," Venom
    requested. Parker had to give the man SOME degree of credit. He didn't like it, but
    he went out the window, making sure to stay nearby in case Venom went crazy. "Doc,
    you didn't want them to take him, did you?"
    "No. But I had no say. I checked them out. The authority seemed in order". Venom
    jumped down to the floor. "There's no point in placing blame now. It's done. We'll just
    have to undo it!", he exclaimed, angrily. Venom jumped through the window. All Doc Kafka
    could do was close the window and wait for news. She had faith they could pull this off.
    But she had a feeling something big was happening... something beyond Carnage's involvement.
    11:24 PM, Jacobs Research Labs, top floor
    Jacobs sat in a large chair, staring at a few security tapes from the day. Nothing
    unusual, just the basic signs of the outer parking lot and inner walls, plus a few shots
    from inside. He was almost becoming tired of this, but he didn't like taking any chances.
    This was just one measure. However, a bit of footage caught his attention. Visible on an
    outside wall, appeared to be Spider-Man. At least, the mask was. He recognized the rest
    of the suit. It was the reporter from earlier that had hassled him.
    "Tell me... what office was monitoring this camera?", he asked. One of the guards checked
    a sheet of paper. "Johnson... 12th floor. Standard security." Jacobs again asked, "And
    where was he while this was being recorded?" "I don't know sir... I'll bring him up here,"
    the guard replied. Minutes later, a few more of the top-level guards stepped in carrying a
    man in a blue shirt and black pants. "Tell me, Johnson, why weren't you monitoring your post?"
    "Well," the man began, "I know it's a bad excuse, but I needed to use the restroom. I'll
    be sure to stick with it better next time." Jacobs looked him in the face, screaming,
    "**NEXT TIME?** Thanks to your negligence, someone saw what really happens here. _You're fired!_"
    "But sir, I-" He was cut short as a bullet split the back of his skull. "Tell me... what
    was this reporter's name?", Jacobs again demanded.
    "I'm not exactly sure, but I believe it was Parker. I know he was from the Daily Bugle
    newspaper," came a rather quick, rather frightened reply.
    11:39 PM, Parker's home
    Both men had come back here to make sure they had enough supplies. Venom waited outside.
    He didn't want Mary Jane to know he was here. Besides, seeing him might be a tip off that
    this was going to be very dangerous. Parker finished shoving a few more web capsules into
    his belt. He knew he could use all he could carry. A camera might help too, if it meant more
    pictures to prove what was happening. He just hoped there were still hostages to rescue.
    He was too busy to hear the rattling of the front door. It slowly creaked open, two men
    in armored uniforms entering. If not for the light sliver that went across the room and
    into the crack in the bedroom, he might not have noticed someone had just entered. But it
    was too late. The bedroom door was kicked open. Parker couldn't move- these men had rifles
    pointed at him and Mary Jane, who was woken by the noises. Parker tried to think of
    something, but he knew he had seconds. Even if he saved one of them, the other would surely
    die. Mary Jane was screaming. Parker closed his eyes hoping the end would be quick.
    Nothing.
    Parker opened his eyes to see Venom holding both men by their heads. "Well, well...two
    of Carnage's buddies found something out. Too bad it won't do you any good!", he screamed.
    He carried both men out through the nearest window. The next thing anyone heard was a
    loud crash of metal and glass. Parker looked out the window. Venom had planted both men
    through the windshield of the large truck they had driven up in. "Peter....what's going
    on?", Mary Jane asked.
    "I'll explain later, MJ..." Parker was in no mood to argue. Not with Mary Jane about going
    out this late, not with Venom about killing these two. Either way, he knew what Venom would
    say. And with Venom stepping back in, he was about to hear it. "CARELESS! They saw you,
    they found out who you were!", Brock shouted, extremely angry.
    Parker had thought no one had seen him. No guards, no cameras- no, he didn't check
    thoroughly for cameras. None visible, but me must have been taped. And it was stupid of him
    to put on his mask! _'You've reeealy done it this time, Parker.'_
    But he knew no amount of self guilt would change things. They still had to stop
    Carnage... but Mary Jane wasn't safe. Venom seemed to read his mind. "Go on. We'll stay
    and watch her. Don't argue, just GO!" Parker knew he would lose the argument, and he didn't
    have the time anyway. Going it alone would be next to impossible, but he had no choice
    right now.
    11:51 PM, Jacobs Research Labs, holding cells
    Jack woke up from his coma. He was laying on a small bed in a small square room, with
    a large clear window in one side, facing out to a hallway. Everything was a clean
    shade of white. Except for his clothes, which were black. He had just noticed his
    clothes. They were new, presumably put on him by his captors. A new black t-shirt and
    black pants, with a pair of black socks. He wondered....yes, he had new underwear, he
    found when he checked. He assumed they were white. He also felt his head and felt less
    hair. He'd been given a haircut.
    He was your average young man. Six foot tall, average build. His brown hair and eyes
    matched. Just by looking at him now, you'd think he was from a rich family. Normally,
    he looked like your average slacker. Which he was. He had no actual life, but didn't want
    to kill himself. He figured it would happen anyway, so no need to rush it.
    He was thinking about the recent events. Especially the man who had died trying to save
    hi....no, them. A man died so that he may hopefully live. He picked up the pitcher of
    water and cup that were sitting on the floor. At least, he guessed it to be water. He
    poured some out.
    "To you...the mutant who tried to get us out of here. Though you failed... you risked
    your own life so that we may live on. You are a better man than I," he muttered, and with
    that, he drank.
    Upstairs, Carnage sat in a chair in the main lab. The place was empty, aside from Jacobs,
    who was runing tests. "So... explain this stuff to me," Carnage demanded. Jacobs looked
    up from one of the microscopes. "It's not terribly complex, really. I discovered it five
    years ago while working on the immunity drug. Basically, aging is controlled by a programmed
    sequence in the genetic chain. If you can stop the sequence, then you can stop aging
    completely."
    "Still doesn't explain your promises for regeneration," Kasady muttered.
    "Simple. By examining mutant DNA, specifically, mutants with the 'healing factor',
    I was able to determine the alteration which makes it possible. Same as in some animals
    as well. Starfish, certain lizards... complete tissue regeneration based on the genetic
    program," Jacobs explained. Carnage finally asked, "Just how does this all come together,
    anyway?"
    Jacobs wasn't thrilled about these questions, but if he wanted to keep up this guy's
    trust, he had to answer. "Simple, Carnage. You filter the alteration gene for both into
    one artificial gene, which attached itself to the existing genes. You basically lock the
    body in one state- the state it was in when the drug was injected. Old scars, marks, and
    other signs of imperfection remain, but new ones will be repaired." He resumed looking
    over the sample on the slide.
    Jacobs rose. "Carnage... go get one of the test subjects. Time for a test run"
    "Hey"
    Jack looked around. "Over here. Next room," the voice said. It was one of the others.
    Jack moved to the wall so he could hear better. "You were on the bus, right?" Jack, feeling
    it was safe, answered, "Yeah... what's going on? I've been out of it."
    "Three more of the men we came in with were found to be mutants. One had cancer. They were
    killed." Jack felt even worse. He and two others... wonderful. "Where's the third?", he
    asked. "Next to me. Looks like you're the last one," the voice responded. Jack answered,
    "Call me Jack". "You're last, Jack. If you can get out of here... you have the best chance,
    if they don't use us all at once." He had a feeling that was the order. Maybe, when a guard
    opened his cell... maybe...
    11:59 PM, outside
    Parker had climbed inside the main wall. Without Venom helping, he could forget a
    rescue attempt. Going in the front door would be suicide. His best chance was to get a
    few pictures, and possibly take out Carnage. At least cripple the operation here. He was
    behind the small inner wall which sat behind the small grassy area. The front may have
    been beautiful, but behind the wall sat several drums of waste. At least they offered cover.
    Only a few guards outside. But hidden cameras... he's have to move fast. The darkness
    would have to act as a cover. The lights were off over almost the entire building, meaning
    he shouldn't have too much trouble. One of the guards was close by. He was walking in
    Parker's direction, too. He couldn't risk being seen, or waiting for this guy to clear out.
    He moved fast. Popping up, he shot a web over the guard's mouth and over his torso. Stepping
    out into the open, he carried the incapacitated guard behind the barrels and used more of
    his web line to hold him down. For good measure, he removed the guard's gun and snapped the
    barrel off. The remains were thrown into one of the barrels.
    He climbed up the side wall at a fast pace. Making his way to the back, he saw a light on
    at the top floor. Seeing no guards below, he made his way up, making sure to stick to the
    thin layers between the windows, in case anyone happened to be inside.
    Within a few minutes, he had reached the top floor. Climbing to the roof, he hung over the
    side to get a better look. Inside, he saw Carnage standing with a few men- Jacobs, a few
    guards, and a man in his thirties, the guns trained on him. Grabbing his camera, he snapped
    a few pictures as the man on the table was injected with something. Parker couldn't tell
    what he was being injected with, but it was good enough for him. Good enough to prove human
    experimentation was going on here.
    He was too focused on the events inside, and didn't have time to react to his tingling
    senses. Before he knew what was going on, he was pulled up by his ankles. Something was
    smashed across his face. He woke up inside. He was strapped down to a table. "Welcome,
    Spider-Man. So, you figured out what goes on here. Too bad you won't be telling anybody!"
    Jacobs stood above him, a syringe in his hand.
    "Now, now...you aren't going to die. Too risky. You going missing could bring unwanted
    attention, especially if you told anyone where you were headed. But you can't be stupid enough
    not to try a rescue attempt without some help. Meaning... you didn't blab. I had higher
    expectations for you. This camera... evidence hunting. Well, you aren't going to bring an
    army of heroes to my front door!", Jacobs told him as he slammed the camera on the ground,
    smashing it into several pieces.
    "Now... I sent a few men to deal with you not that long ago... but you're no murderer.
    And I doubt you would have turned them in". "Sir," a guard spoke up, "about that... the
    truck and the bodies were found. Central Park." Jacobs, growing visibly irritated, stated,
    "Well, that answers that. They didn't get there. I'll deal with that issue later. Meanwhile..."
    Jacobs walked over to the table and stuck the needle in Parker's arm.
    "Spider-Man, this drug will mess with your head. You're going to forget the events of
    the past forty-eight hours. I know it's a bit too long, but I need to make sure you forget
    this place. Now then, as soon as he passes out, take him somewhere and pour whiskey all over
    him. Gives him a good excuse to tell his family." Parker tried to mutter something, but he was
    too weak. He passed out within minutes.
    Thursday, February 8. 1:32 AM
    Parker woke up in an alley. He couldn't remember why he was here, or why he was holding a
    bottle of alcohol. Stumbling up from the pile of garbage, he was greeted by Venom, who had
    stepped out of the shadows. "You're awake." Parker, dazed, uttered, "Venom? What-"
    "Find out anything?"
    Parker was highly confused. "Find out what? Where was I?", he demanded, still hazy. Venom
    shook his head. "I have a real bad feeling about this. We'd better get you home. I'll fill
    you in later"
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	4. Issue 4


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 4
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Thursday, February 15th, 2001. 9:34 PM
    Jack sat on his small bed. It had been over a week since he had been brought
    here. He wasn't sure of the day any more, or the time. He only had the white walls
    to stare at all day, aside from the occasional guard, bringing food or taking the
    trays away. And aside from trips to the bathroom or for cleaning, he never left. He
    had watched as one of the men brought in with him fall sick only a couple of days
    after they were brought in. It was bad- his skin turned white and his eyes changed a
    strange shade of yellow. The other man had been taken away in the same manner as the
    first, but nothing had happened to him yet.
    Jacobs was studying a blood sample from the last test. Things were looking up for
    his research. His form stayed intact, and he gained the regenerative capabilities.
    But he wasn't that lucky just yet. The bond had broken after only three days. But
    it was promising. If he could keep the genetic bond permanent, then it would all pay
    off. The stress from another press conference today didn't do much for his patience,
    but he had to do those often just so the public would get the impression this
    facility was working for them. Besides, the government would breathe down his neck if
    they didn't show anything for the money they had given him for research.
    But he wanted this over with. He was determined to stay awake as long as necessary to
    finish this. He knew it was possible. He wasn't willing to believe otherwise. His greed
    was clouding his intelligence. This meant everything to him- everything. The world,
    it's people, power, and value. With an indestructible body, no one could stand in his
    way. He laughed at the other would-be conquerors. Dr. Doom, Red Skull... all fools.
    Even Hitler wasn't capable of winning. They were mortal men. Mortal men don't stand
    a chance.
    10:03 PM, Peter Parker's home
    Parker and Venom stood in the room alone. His memories had returned within a few
    days, thankfully. But the assault was held off. He had sent Mary Jane out of town
    for now. He was afraid more attempts might be made. It was also why he avoided the
    press conference at the Labs today. But after he had failed in his attempt last week,
    he was not going back without more help. Sure, he had Venom.....but it was barely
    enough. He had called for another who might be able to help, but some problems had
    held off on that.
    Until now. A knock on the door prompted both men to put on their masks. Parker walked
    over and slowly opened the door. Seeing the sight, he opened it all the way and
    stepped back. The sight was one which inspired confidence- a blue suit, with red
    boots and gloves, and white details. A large shield hung off his right arm. "Hello,
    Spider-Man". the figure greeted.
    The man stepped in. He was known as Captain America. One of the few signs of true
    patriotism left in the entire country. A man from an era when the stuff flowed
    heavily. Now, he served as one of the country's strongest signs of heroism. And
    he felt a need to answer any call of danger. But this especially. He remembered
    Carnage. Several years back, he was one of the team who had stopped Carnage and his
    group from destroying the city. Only now.... it seemed the stakes were higher. Just
    because he wasn't hacking people apart didn't mean he wasn't helping some terribly
    cause. And an insane genetic scientist made matters worse.
    "Cap, you know we could all die tonight." He looked over at the wall-crawler. Cap
    told him, simply, "We have no choice. Spider-Man, Venom... the world depends on us.
    I'm going. I will die if necessary so that others may live. If either of you want to
    back out now, I'll understand"
    Venom looked over at the hero. He was a hero of a much different class- brave,
    honorable, a sign if integrity. What was he? A twisted hero who would kill rather
    than allow trial. Deep down, he knew he wasn't half the hero Captain America was.
    "We're in! Spider-Man?" Parker rolled down his gloves and checked his web cartridges.
    Parker answered, "We hit at midnight"
    10:58 PM, Jacobs Research Labs
    "I've done it!!!!"
    Jacobs's voice resonated through the top floor. Carnage and several guards ran
    down the hall into the main lab area. "Get me the final subject. I believe I may
    have it. If so... then it all begins tonight. If not, we can always get more victims,"
    he explained. The guards left the room. Carnage was about to follow, but Jacobs
    stopped him. "Cletus, I have a reward for you.".
    "Taking this idiotic bracelet off, finally?", Cletus asked. Jacobs's enthusiasm
    level began to drop slightly upon hearing someone else so happy. "Um, no. Not yet.
    When I inject myself with the final drug, I will remove it. But, it's not a bad
    reward. I'm injecting you with my immunity booster. I figure you deserve it. You
    cooperated with me in this. I know you were forced to, which I have to apologize
    for. I take no chances. But you didn't complain, which I respect. Therefore, hold
    out your arm. Display a bare patch. Your symbiote may contaminate the serum."
    "Couldn't it do that anyway?" Jacobs responded, "Not after it enters your system.
    I tested a sample of your blood. This is made for human DNA. Your symbiote shouldn't
    even know it's there." Cletus held out his left arm. His green eyes stared at the
    bare patch in his inner elbow as the needle entered and the fluid was pumped in.
    "Now... wait a few minutes. Don't eat or drink anything," Jacobs told him. Before he
    could say more, the guards walked in with Jack at gunpoint. His mouth had a piece of
    tape over it. "Strap him to the table!".
    Jack tried to break free from the guards, but gave up when he felt the straps hold
    his wrists and ankles down. Jack knew fighting was useless now. He closed his eyes
    as he felt the needle enter his arm. Jacobs pulled the needle out. "Take him back!"
    The guards grabbed Jack, who was feeling a bit weak. He hated needles severely. He
    was unable to fight as the guards hauled him off. "We'll know in a half hour if the
    bond is permanent," Jacobs muttered.
    11:36 PM, upstairs lab
    Jacobs looked over a blood sample taken from Jack only minutes before. He erupted
    into an insane laughter. So loud, in fact, Carnage ran in to see what the excitement
    was about. "Take a look!", he demanded, still laughing to himself. Cletus walked over
    to the microscope and looked down the lenses. "So...?"
    "I guess your education level isn't up to grasping it," Jacobs shouted. "The bond
    is perfect. It's permanent. I've done it. Five years have finally paid off!"
    "Well... inject yourself and get this piece of jewelry off me!", Cletus screamed.
    "Patience. I have a few things to do first. And so do you. We need to do a few
    things... tie up some loose ends. GUARDS! You two, come with me. You, go with Carnage.
    Now, Carnage.... I have a few papers to dispose of. I want you to kill all the test
    subjects. Then the boy. Tie him up securely. We'll dispose of him later. Then, take
    this key card and go to my office. Unlock the holding safe and bring me the immortality
    gene. It is labeled. Get to it!" Jacobs and the two guards left. Cletus picked up the
    key card. Both men left the room.
    _'Wonderful, I get to run errands!'_
    11:41 PM, holding cells
    Carnage opened the first cell. Inside was a creature of various animal parts. Little
    human remained. The first test. An ugly mess. He looked the form over a second. Forming
    a sharp blade on the end of his left arm, he raised it, ready to swing, killing the
    creature. "Please... don't kill me. What did I do to deserve this?", it asked. He held
    the blade up, to keep the suspense high. He wanted this... thing to be very afraid. He
    loved fear.
    _'This is wrong'_
    Carnage looked around for the source of that voice. "You say something?", he asked.
    The guard shook his head. He hadn't said a word. Lifting his arm again, the voice
    interrupted once more.
    _'This is all wrong, and you know it'_
    Again, he looked around. Someone was saying something to him, and he didn't know who
    it was. _'I know you can hear me. This is wrong. Stop it. Now!'_
    His mad rage turned into a horrifying chill. He recognized the voice... it was his own.
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	5. Issue 5


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 5
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Carnage couldn't believe it. For the first time in his life, he didn't want
    to kill. He knew it was wrong, and he wasn't going to do it this time. No matter
    what was in it for him. "Hey! The boss gave you orders!" He turned. The guard had
    the gun pointed at him, and the remote to his shock gauntlet in the other hand.
    "Of course. Certainly. I need to kill... you!". Swinging his arm, he sliced off the
    guard's hand holding the small remote device. With his other hand, he shot a tendril
    out, catching the severed hand before the remote could hit the ground. His free
    hand shot a long spike through the guard's chest. Pulling it free, he retracted the
    small remote device to his own hands.
    '_Well, one less thing for me to worry about.'_ With that, he grabbed it in both
    hands and twisted it. The remote tore apart. He looked over into the opened lexan door,
    and caught his own reflection. For the first time, he saw his own face... with disgust.
    "What have I DONE? My whole life... my existence... no more..." He formed his right
    hand into a blade and lifted it to his chin. Final punishment.
    "No..."
    He looked up. It was the mutated test subject. "I... know what goes on here and why.
    Even if you kill... yourself, he still... he still... wins... and none are safe," the
    creature told him. The form was devoid of humanity, a pile of random animal fragments.
    But his mind was still intact. "You're right... I have to stop him myself. Before...
    Stay here. I'll be back."
    Jack lay on his small bed. He wondered what they had pumped him full of. Maybe
    he'd find out....when he turned pink with nine eyes, he'd have a good sign. But his
    thinking was cut short by a small tap on the door. He looked up to see Carnage peering
    in. "Oh, shit!", he muttered, mostly to himself. "No, wait!", Cletus screamed,
    desperately. "I know you've seen me do some terrible things recently. But something big
    is about to go down. If I lose, the whole world bites it. Believe me or not, I need your
    help. And I have only a short time to fill you in.".
    "Okay. Whatever you say..." Carnage ripped the lock off with a claw and opened the door.
    "Now... that stuff they injected into you. Long story short, you're, technically...
    immortal. And the guy who made the drug is going to use it on himself. If he does, he
    can take over the whole world. I have to stop him, and I need your help." Jack, trying
    to take in all he had heard, nodded. "Sure...whatever," he said.
    "Good. First, I have this thing on my arm. It can kill me with a press of a remote button
    or if I try to remove it. I need to get it off my arm," he said, holding his arm down
    and Jack looked the gauntlet over. "Well, it's a contact lock. The two edges are conductive,
    like a window alarm. If I had some alligator clips and a wire, I could open it without
    setting it off..... but the casing would have to be torn away, and that would probably fry
    us both."
    Cletus withdrew his arm. He picked up the small metal box he had brought in with him. "I
    have no choice then..."
    He tried to open the box. "Locked..." He had almost expected this. Why else would Jacobs
    let someone else retrieve it for him, unless he had the key? Cletus stabbed a claw into
    the lock, ripping the case open. Inside was a large test tube filled with a red liquid,
    and a few sealed syringes and hypodermic needles. "I know I deserve to die for what I've
    done, but I have no choice right now. I'll fail otherwise. Besides, maybe it will give
    me a chance to make amends."
    "Well, in all honestly, I don't deserve to live forever either. But if you're not BS'ing
    me, well... do it," Jack told him. Carnage grabbed the tube. "One problem. I don't know how
    to do this." "I do. I... well, let's just say I've done this before on someone," Jack admitted,
    unwrapped the needle and syringe and fit them together. "Dosage?" "Oh... oh yeah. Thirty cc,
    exactly," Cletus explained.
    Jack filled the needle with the proper dosage. "Arm, please."
    11:52 PM, secondary lab, 18th floor
    "What are you doing?"
    Cletus poked his head out of a storage cabinet. "Jacobs expects to be given SOMETHING!
    I'm going to give him something unexpected," Cletus explained. He went back to digging.
    Seconds later, he stuck his head back out. "This... this is it. An early sample of the
    drug. Second batch." Jack, puzzled, asked, "You sure?" "Well, that's what it says," he
    explained, pointing at the label.
    "You're the boss, Cletus." Carnage looked around until he saw a tube about the size of
    the one the serum was kept in. Opening the bottle, he poured the stuff in. "Keep a
    look out. I'm not quite done." Jack walked over to the door, clutching the guard rifle
    he had been given. Cletus picked up several small vials, each labeled 'animal blood'
    with a species written on it. He opened several and poured them in until the tube was
    about to where the other tube was leveled at.
    _"Cletus!"_, a voice cut in. The small radio receiver he had taken from the guard was picking
    up Jacobs. "Yeah?" _"Cletus, I'm ready. Bring the drug to the main lab."_ "Be there in a
    second... uh... he he he," he added.
    Placing the receiver down, he motioned for Jack to follow. He opened the case up and
    switched tubes. "Jack, take this. Keep it safe. Stay outside of the main doors until I
    call you." "Right," Jack responded. He slipped the tube into his pants pocket and both
    men left.
    11:59 PM, main lab
    Jacobs sat on the table, his priceless bullet proof coat laying nearby. Carnage walked
    in with the case. "Where's the guard I had assigned to you?", Jacobs asked, suspiciously.
    "Bathroom, I guess. Whatever. You don't need him, you have those two!"
    Jacobs nodded. Carnage opened up the metal box. He pulled out the tube and the
    necessary items. "Now, Cletus," Jacobs said, "I'll need you to do this. Be careful
    with that, it's-" "I know how to do this! Don't patronize me!" "Right... remember,
    thirty cc dosage. Be careful," Jacobs said, quite calmly. Carnage assembled the needle
    and stuck it in the rubber tube cap. He filled the needle and forced the air out in
    the manner Jack had shown him. He looked the arm over, and found the blue vein line.
    Sticking he needle in quickly, he slowly pumped the drug into the man's body.
    "Yes... YES! In minutes, in MERE MINUTES, this world will be mine, and no one will
    be able to stop me! **NO ONE! NO ONE AT-**" Jacobs stopped his ranting. He had
    turned to look at the killer, when he noticed the arm gauntlet missing. "No... _NO!_",
    Jacobs screamed. "You couldn't have! You," he said, writhing in pain. "What... did
    you... do to me?"
    The guards lifted their guns, but before they could fire, Cletus shot web tentrils
    out, grabbing the barrels. He pulled them forward."Now, you two... if you want to
    live, get out of here now. Otherwise, I'll throw you out the nearest window!" Both
    guards looked at each other. "Jacobs is done for," the first muttered. "Let's get
    out of here!" Both men ran off. as fast as they could. Cletus grabbed the coat from
    the table. "JACK! NOW!"
    The doors flung open as Jack stepped in the room, gun pointing forward. Cletus threw
    him the coat. "Put it on. It's bullet proof!" Jack complied not a moment too soon.
    Jacobs pulled a gun and fired at the boy. The bullets bounced off the thick material.
    "I see the doctor likes playing rough. Cletus, step back."
    Even though he knew what was going to happen, he figured Jacobs was dead anyway. He
    jumped towards one of the walls. Jack opened fire, hitting Jacobs in as many places
    as he could hit. He kept it up until the clip was empty. Just as well, since Jacobs
    slumped to the floor about then. He was a torn, bloody mess. Cletus threw Jack one
    of the guns he had taken, keeping the other for himself.
    "What now? Myself, I'd prefer to get out of here,back to my apartment, and forget
    this place!" Cletus was about to agree, but stopped short of speaking. He had other
    ideas. "Not yet. Jacobs is dead, but someone could come find the research. Then this
    would only be a temporary fix." "Well, unless you have a wrecking ball, we can forget
    doing anything besides smashing equipment and shredding papers."
    Cletus began to slump over. However, he quickly stood back up. "Maybe not. I
    overheard from a guard that one of the tests was a government agent. Had some explosives
    on him at the time. If so, they'd be in fourteenth floor storage."
    Friday, February 16th. 12:06 AM
    They had reached the storage room. Only a few guards on the way, and all but one
    saw leaving as the wise choice. The storage room was where all the stuff taken from
    kidnapped men was placed. Mostly wallets and various bags, newspapers, books, rings,
    ect. Jack picked up a few of the pistols from the metal shelves and stuck them in
    the coat's pockets. Seeing a small one the right size, he moved the tube to the coat
    for better protection. It was a thick glass, but better safe than sorry. He had also
    taken several bills from the wallets. Before he finished his search, both for the
    explosives and contraband, he came across one item which he had to have- a large, pump
    action 12-gauge shotgun with a loaded shell rack on the side. He dropped the rifle
    and loaded his new weapon.
    Spider-Man had webbed up the two guards on the first floor. Climbing the building
    was impossible with Captain America on board, so they'd have to risk the elevators.
    "Doesn't anyone else besides us find this... too easy?", Venom asked. Captain America
    looked at the anti-hero.
    "I imagine the real trouble will be on the upper floors," he replied. "This is a
    public access area". They knew he was probably right. Truth is, not even Captain
    America was thrilled about this. But he wasn't backing down, and he figured any
    confidence he could give his two companions could only help. The elevator doors
    opened. Parker and Venom entered one, while Cap took the other. The buttons to the
    top floor were pressed as the doors closed.
    "Found them!", Cletus said, opened the bag. It was a large, dark green backpack.
    Inside were several small black devices and a remote control. Each had a timer on it.
    Jacked grabbed a piece of paper near the top.
    "**Remote time detonators:** each bomb can be stuck to a wall by the strong adhesive
    on the back when the paper is peeled off. Each bomb can be set to a certain time, or
    can all be set to the same time by the master remote'. There's enough here to level a
    city block!"
    They had what they had come for. Both men left the small room. They reached the
    two main elevator doors and pressed the call buttons. Seconds later, the doors opened.
    Seeing someone inside, both men raised their guns. "...Spider-Man? Venom?", Cletus
    said, shocked, but not completely surprised. "... Captain... America?" Jack muttered,
    amazed to even be in the man's presence.
    "KASADY!" Before Venom could attack, Spider-Man was able to grab him and hold him
    back. "Hold IT! Carnage, what... what's going on here!?"
    "Well, Spider-Man, I hate to sound like I'm bragging, but we did just stop a
    power mad scientist." Both wall-crawlers looked at each other. Captain America stepped
    into the hall. "Well, normal circumstances aside, I can believe it." Spider-Man and
    Venom looked at each other, wondering if they were dreaming, and what exactly constituted
    _normal circumstances_. Jack snapped himself out of his daze. "Listen....heroes
    of the Earth, we're going to blow this place. Too much research for someone to find.
    There are some hostages on the 17th floor we'd like to clear out, and you're in time
    to help before we set the town on fire."
    "And no time to argue. Let's move it! Jack, you go with Cap. I'll take the other
    car," Cletus ordered. Jack entered the elevator with Captain America. Cletus squeezed
    himself in with the others. Both pressed the floor buttons. "So... Venom... how you
    been?", Cletus asked, trying to lighten the tension. Eddie looked over at the one-time
    killer. He couldn't believe this. It had to be a nightmare. "Oh, just fine..."
    He wished he had room to throw up.
    17th floor, holding cells.
    Carnage and Venom proceeded to tear the locks off the doors holding hostages inside.
    Spider-Man couldn't believe the results of the experimentation. Neither could Captain
    America. Venom recognized it, but refused to justify it. "Okay, guys. Pour out. You're
    going home," Cletus explained. The seventeen men walked out of their rooms. However,
    some couldn't leave. Their bodies were too deformed. Carnage wasn't willing to leave
    them behind. "Come on, guys! Help me carry them out!"
    As he tried to lift one, he heard a soft voice say, "Leave us... save the rest. It's
    our choice. Please abide by our last request..."
    "Well... you heard the man." Leaving the five that couldn't move, they helped the
    rest to the elevators. "Listen, guys. These won't be fast enough. There's an express
    elevator around the corner. It's a lot bigger and moves faster. Besides, we need one
    car ourselves and you don't have the time!" "How many can it hold?", Parker asked.
    "It's fairly big. It would easily hold all of them. But with the three of you... it
    might be a little cramped." Jack looked over at a nearby window. Raising his shotgun,
    he pumped the slide and fired, shattering the window. "Instant door!", he remarked.
    Captain America headed for the express elevator. Both web-slingers headed to the window.
    Jack watched them go. "Well, Carnage. Let's do this!"
    Main office
    Jack searched the drawers. He took as much of the stacked up money as his pockets
    could fit. Cletus places a few explosives around the room. "Be liberal with those.
    We'll need most for the bottom floor," he said. "I'm done". Both men ran off to the main
    lab. They planted enough to make sure the equipment would be blasted out of existence.
    As they were leaving, a hand grabbed Jack on the ankle. It was Jacobs, barely alive. Jack
    brushed off the man's right hand with his other foot, and took close aim with his shotgun.
    The blast disintegrated the man's hand. Jacobs yelled out in severe pain. "It must have
    slowed his dying, the drugs and all."
    Cletus looked down. "Yeah." He took aim with his rifle, and fired into the man's chest,
    finishing the job. Jack didn't say a word. Instead, he entered the time into the remote.
    "Ready?" Cletus shook his head. Jack pressed the timer button. "Let's MOVE IT, THEN!"
    First floor
    Both men walked around with the bag, covering the walls with the small black devices.
    "Four minutes, Cletus," Jack shouted. They moved faster. Each bomb was only the size
    of a hockey puck, and the bag was full of them. " One and a half!", Jack screamed.
    They slapped on a few more bombs. "fifty-five seconds!" Cletus dropped the bag by the
    back wall. Both men ran out the front doors.
    "Oh, hell!", Cletus muttered. The wall stood in their way. "twenty-five seconds!",
    Jack screamed. "Hold on, Jack!" He grabbed Jack by his arms, jumping over the wall.
    Landing, they ran as far as they could. They ran. It was just enough. The bombs went
    off as the counter hit zero. The force of the first floor explosion was tremendous.
    The thick wall surrounding the building was reduced to gravel, and the thick metal
    gate was bent like a piece of foil. It barely missed crushing Cletus as it landed
    several hundred yards away. They didn't notice what the top floor went through, but
    it couldn't have been this bad.
    The building, with no support left, began to fall... backwards. It landed with an
    incredible noise, sending pieces everywhere. "Man... I hope Cap and the others cleared
    this place."
    Cletus didn't respond, but he hoped for the same thing. Someone must have been
    listening up above. The three heroes ran to them. They couldn't believe what these
    two men had accomplished. One a serial killer, the other an inexperienced nobody.
    The heroes didn't know the whole story though. These two unlikely heroes had saved
    the world from a reign of terror.
    Jack had just pulled himself up from the ground. "So... Captain America... are the
    others safe?", he asked, brushing himself off. "They are."
    "Cletus, what happened tonight, anyway?", Parker asked. "Listen, Spider-Man. I'm
    tired as hell right now. I'm hungry. But I'll tell you all about it later. Right...
    anyway... Jack, you ready?" Jack turned around. "Yeah. We'll go to my apartment for now.
    We can inventory this stuff there and get some sleep."
    The two left. Spider-Man quickly ran upon hearing sirens in the distance. Venom
    remained. He wanted to watch the building burn.
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	6. Shocking Debut


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 6: Shocking Debut
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Friday, February 16th, 2001. 1:06 PM
    Jack sat at the small kitchen table in his apartment, pouring some grape soda
    out into a large styrofoam cup. He was finishing sorting through the stuff he had
    swiped from the Lab facility before setting off the explosives. Three .45 caliber
    pistols, a snub-nose revolver, the large shotgun, a few small pill bottles hidden
    in the pockets of the coat he had been given, and the money he had taken. He hadn't
    counted it out yet, but guessed it to be several hundred thousand dollars. Maybe
    more. Stacks of one hundred dollar bills wrapped in small paper sleeves.
    And the large test tube containing the immortality drug. Despite the fact he was
    throwing himself around in those last few minutes, the tube hadn't been damaged.
    He had stuck it in one of the small shelf drawers in his bedroom, under some old
    Mad magazines. He wasn't about to have the entire neighborhood knocking his door down
    to get it, and he damn sure wasn't going to carry it with him.
    His apartment was almost a complete dump, mainly bare wood. Minor remnants of paint
    remained. He had electricity, enough to run his old fridge, toaster, microwave,
    radio, and a few old lamps. Everything here was older than he was, aside from a few
    minor items. He had the small kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom. Good enough
    for one person who couldn't afford luxury.
    Cletus walked into the room. His hair was black, as were patches of his forehead.
    Jack looked at him like he was looking at some sort of abstract painting. "Well... I
    guess it will do for now. No one should immediately recognize you. But wipe those
    spots off your face. You look like Marylin Manson's evil spawn." "Yeah, yeah... got
    anything to drink?"
    Jack pointed to the fridge. Cletus got up and opened the door. Inside, a jug of water,
    a jug of milk, some meats, and sodas. "What can I say? I eat light. Not healthy, but
    light," Jack remarked. Cletus ignored him and removed the jug of milk. Taking one of
    the cups, he poured some out. "What all did we swipe anyway? That is, of use." Jack
    sucked down the last of his soda and tossed the cup in a nearby garbage can.
    "Guns... some ammo. Lots of money, if it's not counterfeit. Pills, unidentified.
    The coat, too. It's a little too big for me. I guess I can have it altered. Enough
    to work as heroes for a while until we can get more," he said. Cletus picked up his
    cup. Before he could take a drink, the power began to flicker. And it didn't stop.
    Jack had just noticed. "...odd," he commented.
    Jack got up and walked over to his apartment door. Undoing the locks, he opened the
    door. The lights in the hall were flickering as well. "Hey, Jack. Look out the
    window!" Outside, lights of all kinds were doing the same. Traffic lights, windows,
    all over the small area of the city. "You know, it may be nothing... but I know of
    only 2 people who could do something like this. Old prison buddies"
    "You mean... Electro and Shocker?", Jack asked. "..yeah." Jack picked up his coat
    from the back of the kitchen chair. He stuffed a few of the pistols in his pockets
    and grabbed the shotgun. "Okay. Cletus, if we want to be heroes, we might as well
    not wait around" Cletus changed into his suit, minus the mask. "Dude....I fail to
    see why you'd dye your hair if you're not gonna use the mask. But for crying out loud,
    put that gaping mouth away!" Carnage sent out his face mask, the mouth he normally
    used absent.
    "Okay... we got weapons, the symbiote... now, we just need to look for where all
    the police and heroes are gathered. Can you carry me and swing on your tendrils? I
    really don't want to walk across the city," Jack commented. Carnage let out a quiet
    sigh. They stepped out into the hall and up the three flights of stairs to the roof.
    Jack clutched firmly to Carnage's shoulders as he shot a web line to one of the taller
    buildings and swung off.
    Times Square. 1:35 PM
    The area was filled with police cars, police officers and SWAT officers holding
    their positions. Not too far away, in the center of the square, a large device sat.
    Wires from the nearby buildings were attached to the device. Standing guard were two
    men- Electro and Shocker. An electrical field surrounded them, keeping them safe
    while the power drained.
    "You know, Shocker, I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when I absorb all
    of this. I'll be more powerful than any of them could ever imagine!" Shocker looked
    over at his partner in crime. "Listen, I agreed to help you for a fifty percent cut
    of what we took. It doesn't mean I'm interested in hearing your corny rants." "Right,
    Shocker. But don't forget- you're just a mere copy of what I can do. You don't even
    have super powers!"
    Shocker was becoming irritated. The insane ramblings were bad enough. The insults
    were barely tolerable. But Shocker had his sanity. Why should he be playing second
    to this guy? He fired a few bursts into the crowd to let off steam. Spider-Man watched
    from behind the crowd. He knew this was bad. Repetitive, but bad. He had seen this
    unravel before. Electro trying to drain a massive power supply and absorb it into his
    body. How many times had he almost killed himself in the process? He turned around to
    see another sight which half eased his mind, and half made him more uneasy. It was
    Jack and Carnage, sneaking up to the crowd.
    "You two? How'd you find out what was going on?" Jack pointed at the flickering
    lights. "We followed the trail of outages. Would've been here sooner, but baby got
    tired of swinging across buildings and wanted to take a cab! You know how hard it is
    to conceal a shotgun in one of those things? We finally got stuck at a pile-up and
    had to walk!" Cletus pretended not to be listening. Parker was about to comment on
    the situation, but something else caught his attention.
    "Carnage... what happened to your mouth?"
    "Huh? Oh, that... we decided it would be better to go with a solid mask." Jack
    stared at Cletus. "...'we'?" Parker was getting a little sick of the small argument
    he'd helped start. "Anyway, guys, Electro and Shocker are draining power. We can't
    get near them. You have any ideas?", he asked.
    Jack and Cletus took a few steps back and went into a small huddle. "Cletus, didn't
    you mention something about regenerative properties?" "Yeah, why?... ohhhh, I get it,"
    he said. They separated and walked back up to the wall-crawler. Jack pointed for Carnage
    to take a position out of sight. "I'll use Carnage as backup. Stay out of our way." Jack
    pulled the shotgun out from under the long coat.
    "Whoa! You aren't planning on..." Jack turned and looked at the hero, shouting,
    "...oh, FINE! We'll take them alive!" Jack waved for Carnage to return. He explained the
    new plan, to Carnage's disappointment. "Okay... Carnage, get to the side and prepare to
    tag Electro when I give the signal. And take this..." He pulled the small revolver out
    of the long coat. Cletus took it and used the symbiote to hold it to his leg. "Okay...
    Spider-Man, be ready to step in if we don't make it"
    "You got it," he replied. "By the way, you DO know what you're doing, don't you?" Jack
    stopped dead in his tracks. "Uhh... you got me there. Eh, I'll wing it."
    Parker's uneasy feeling grew stronger. Jack made his way to the front of the crowd
    and forced himself around the police lines. He ignored the officers' attempts to stop
    him. Seeing the young man coming through the crowd, Shocker took aim and fired, hitting
    Jack in the chest, knocking him down. He lay on the ground for a few seconds and
    stumbled to his feet. He noticed the scorch marks on his torso. Angry, he pulled out
    his shotgun and pumped the slide. Seeing this, Shocker jumped out of the way in time to
    avoid being hit. But Jack wasn't aiming at Shocker. He was counting on the villain to
    dodge the shot. The pellets hit the machine behind him. The damage was enough to knock
    out the electrical field around the device. Jack hadn't taken into account the fact
    the field might disintegrate the shot, but it didn't matter now.
    Jack pumped the slide again and pointed it at the device again. He saw that Electro
    was now taking aim at him. He jumped in time to avoid being baked by several lightning
    bolts. "CARNAGE!!!! NOW!", he screamed. Electro looked up to where Jack had been facing.
    He saw something he couldn't believe. It was Carnage. And he was slicing through some of
    the large wires heading towards the machine. "HEY! Shouldn't he be helping us?"
    Electro ignored Shocker's comments. He took aim to fry the symbiote, but before he
    could let loose with energy, tendrils shot out and wrapped Electro in a binding mess.
    It was enough of a distraction for Jack to run up and lay several punches across
    Shocker's face and stomach. "This is for the burn marks!", he said as he brought a
    left across Shocker's chin. "This is for the shirt!"
    A right across his left cheek. "And this....is because I FEEL LIKE IT!"
    He planted his left foot into Shocker's gut, knocking the insulated villain to the
    ground. By this point, Carnage had made his way to the machine. He sliced several more of the
    large wires, which caused some of the nearby power to return. Skipping the last few wires,
    he formed his right arm into a large multi-spiked axe. "Here goes nothing! ...man, this is
    gonna hurt..."
    He jabbed his weapon into the heart of the machine, tearing upwards as pieces
    came flying off. The electricity was flowing through his body, but not enough to fry
    him. But he was in an incredible amount of pain. The machine began to smoke, but ran
    out of energy before it could explode. Cletus pulled his arm out of the machine, with
    enough energy left to barely stay standing.
    Electro had seen this. His plans ruined by someone who should have been happy to see
    the city in a panic. Charging up his own energies, he shocked the hard symbiotic material
    around him until it cracked and shattered.
    "**YOU!!** You....ruined everything! You could have had a part of this! Now, Carnage... Feel
    the wrath of-" Electro's speech was cut short as a blast of energy knocked him to the ground.
    It was one of the Shocker's power bursts.
    "I've had enough of that guy! I didn't even want to be here. He promised so much money!
    Like we had a chance! You'd think we'd learn..." Shocker looked up at Jack. "...I give up."
    He stood and headed towards the officers, removing his shocker gauntlets. "Take me back to
    prison! Just don't lock me up with that guy!" The officers handcuffed Shocker and took him
    away. Electro tried to get up, but was stopped as a gun was stuck in his face. He looked up
    to see Carnage holding it. "You... wouldn't... "
    Cletus pulled the gun away. "No... but I will do this..."
    Electro closed his eyes as Cletus brought a foot across his face. The villain lay unconscious.
    The police ran up and dragged the man away. Carnage ran over to Jack, picked him up, and
    jumped upward, shooting tendrils and climbing to a nearby roof before anyone noticed them.
    Everyone except Parker, who followed them.
    "So... if anyone asks, who do I tell them saved the day?" Both men looked at each other.
    Cletus had the answer.
    "Tell them... Maximum Carnage has switched sides."
    Jack put his shotgun under his coat. "Good enough for me. Beats 'Jack and Cletus'. Anyway,
    let's get out of here. I'm hungry." Parker was about to wish them good luck, but remembered
    one small detail. "Hey, wait a second. You promised to tell me what happened at the labs!"
    Jack let go of Carnage's shoulders. "Oh, right... well, I have to go to the public library
    in Manhattan tomorrow. Meet me there at, oh... say, ten"
    "Deal. And the both of you... good luck." Both men headed off. While swinging back to his
    apartment, Jack had an idea he had to share. "Say, Cletus... don't you think that was a
    little... easy?" Cletus almost missed the next building as he thought of an answer. "Yeah,
    actually. Maybe we should leave the regular super villains to the veterans," Cletus
    responded. "Right. We should try to handle the stuff 'mortal men' can't..." Cletus thought
    about what Jack said. He'd been having the same feeling. And it was a feeling which
    frightened him.
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	7. Carnage is Back


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 7: Carnage is Back...
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Saturday, February 17th, 2001. 10:02 AM
    Jack walked in the front door of the large library. Normally, he didn't frequent
    places like this. He was more accustomed to a magazine rack for reading material.
    But fiction wasn't his purpose for coming here today. He wanted to check up on those
    unknown pill bottles he had taken with him. He figured this would be the best place
    to look. He walked up to the front desk and handed the woman a small piece of paper.
    "I need a reference book to check on what these drugs are... school project," he
    explained.
    She typed a few words into her computer. Jack couldn't see what she had entered. A
    few seconds later, she had found something. "Nonfiction. 476.54. _Dictionary of Medicines_."
    Jack headed off towards the shelved near the back. Finding the book, he took it from
    it's spot and carried it over to an unoccupied table. He thumbed through the book,
    checking drug names to what he had written down in his scribbled handwriting. Most
    were just vitamin supplements and pain relievers. But one in particular interested
    him.
    _'**TRIAZOMINE:** A synthetic drug given to known rapists and sexual offenders to try
    and correct the chemical imbalance which forces them to commit such acts. In a person
    unaffected by such desires, the drug will prevent a person from feeling any sexual
    desires, but has been known to have severe side effects, including sterility and insanity'_
    Jack understood clearly. _'Hmm.....I'm not a normal person though. Besides, if I'm
    going to be a full time hero, a girlfriend is the last thing I need.'_ Jack got up and
    replaced the book. He immediately left the building. Stopping in a nearby alley,
    he pulled the small bottle from his coat. It was labeled **TRIAZOMINE**. He opened the
    bottle, which was almost full. The pills inside matched the pictures in the book.
    Looking the bottle over, he pulled one of the small blue pills out and swallowed it.
    "Headache?"
    Jack looked up. It was Spider-Man, hanging from a nearby wall. "Yeah... just a
    headache. Anyway, you wanted to hear about the explosion at the labs. Let's take
    the back alleys. I'll explain on the way to my apartment."
    Jack's apartment, 4th floor. 10:13 AM
    Cletus placed a few slices of ham on some bread. Opening the mayonnaise, he stuck
    a knife in, and with a generous portion, slapped it on the sandwich. He wanted to
    avoid meat as much as possible, with his experiences in the past of eating people's
    brains, but decided a few slices of ham wouldn't hurt. Besides, he was happy to be
    eating normal food. "What is this? You expect me to eat junk food?"
    Cletus heard the question, but the apartment was empty. No one around. He
    shrugged it off and picked up the sandwich. Before he could take a bite, tendrils
    erupted from his chest. They poured out and formed together in front of his face.
    They formed into a face familiar to him- the face of Carnage."I asked you a
    question!", it screamed. The demonic voice he had once spoken in himself nearly
    gave him a heart attack.
    10:18 AM
    Jack opened the back alley door to his apartment building. Both men walked in.
    "I don't think anyone will see you this way. We should be able to get upstairs
    without too many people noticing, anyway." They headed up the stairs. "All right,
    you said Jacobs had developed the final immortality formula. What happened to it?"
    Jack slowed down his steps.
    "That... destroyed with everything else. We decided it was best not to let the
    world have it."
    They continued up the flights of stairs. Outside the small apartment door, some
    noises could be heard. Jack stuck his key in the knob and unlocked the door, which
    he slowly opened. Inside, Carnage could be seen standing above Cletus."Spider-Man!
    How nice of you to join us! You're both just in time to see me waste this useless
    piece of baggage who I used to call home! Watch closely, because you two are next!"
    As Carnage rose his arms, ready to drive a series of spikes into Kasady, Jack
    pulled a pistol out of his coat and opened fire. Carnage lowered his arms, but
    didn't react to any pain. In fact, the bullets passed right through and out the window.
    "Spider-Man! Get the shotgun!", Jack screamed. Parker saw the shotgun sitting
    in the living room chair. The distance from here to the kitchen was fairly good,
    and even a dive to the chair wasn't going to be fast. He shot a web line out to
    the gun. Securing it, he pulled back on the webbing, Jack catching the gun in
    midair. Carnage sent out a sharp spike towards Parker's head, but Jack fired in
    time to throw off the symbiote's aim. The spike caught the top of Parker's mask.
    Jack pumped and fired again, the force enough to knock Carnage through the nearby
    kitchen window. Cletus got up and looked out the window in time to see Carnage
    straining through a manhole cover.
    "Cletus... what the hell just happened? I leave you alone in my apartment for
    half an hour and this is what happens!" Cletus turned around. "Jack, we have a-
    ...oh, crap..." Cletus had been cut short by what he saw. Jack turned around to
    see what it was, hoping Carnage hadn't just stepped back in through the door.
    Instead he saw something much more compromising. Spider-Man's mask had been pulled
    off by the spike line. Jack could barely give out a warning, but he managed one.
    "Uhh... Spider-Man, don't you feel a little cooler in the face?"
    Parker reached up and felt bare skin. "Oh no... I guess you guys know now..."
    Cletus, a bit thrown, said, "Well, I don't. I mean, you're not a celebrity or
    something. Jack?" "Yeah... I do recognize him. Cletus, I'll tell you, on one
    condition. If either of us blabs, we get thrown in a volcano. Deal?" Cletus stared
    at the face. In the past, he had hoped he would have seen the face of his enemy.
    But circumstances had changed. "...sounds reasonable."
    Jack walked over and closed the door in case anyone walked by. He looked at Parker.
    "Go ahead," Spider-Man told him. Jack sat down on his small, worn out couch.
    "Cletus... meet Peter Parker. Daily Bugle reporter." Cletus sat down at the small
    kitchen table. "Reporter? Kind of anti-climactic, ain't it? I mean, I would have
    expected some sort of billionaire or athlete. But anyway... nice to meet you,
    now that I don't want to kill you"
    Jack walked over to the wall and pulled the spike out of the wood. He handed
    Parker his mask. He slipped it back on in time. A knock at the door interrupted
    the atmosphere. Jack opened it. A black man, mid-sixties, wearing glasses, was
    standing there. "Jack, what's going on? I could hear gunfire and the most awful
    voice imaginable!"
    He stepped out into the hall. "Hey, Roger. Listen... something big just went
    down. Nasty. Involving... aliens," he said, only wishing he had been lying.
    "ALIENS! I knew there were aliens in this building! Why, ever since..." Roger
    began to mumble under his breath as he walked off. Jack pitied the old man. No
    family, stuck in his apartment all day since he had nowhere to go. "Roger! hold
    up a minute"
    The old man stopped and slowly turned. They had known each other for the
    past two years, and Roger was the only one Jack called a friend. He pulled
    one of the stacks of money out of his coat. "Listen... I know you're going to
    refuse, but I won't take no for an answer. Take this money and buy yourself
    something nice. Get out of your apartment once in a while. Don't worry about
    thanking me for it."
    Jack knew he had just handed the old man at least ten thousand. His Social
    Security wouldn't supply near that much in the time he would receive it. He
    also knew he may need it for himself, but Roger was one of the few who didn't
    treat him like he was a complete scumbag. And he owed the old man for that
    much, at least.
    But there was a more important concern before him now. The Carnage symbiote
    was now an independent being. And it would go out and continue as it had before
    Cletus became a hero. He ran back into the apartment. "Okay, you two. We have
    to hunt that thing down and kill it before it can do any more damage! Spider-Man.
    Go home. You can't be asked to risk it all to help us." Parker didn't like what
    he had heard. "But-"
    "LISTEN TO ME! What I said about the immortality drug... I lied. It was used
    on both of us. It may not be permanent, but for now, we can't die. We can do a
    much more effective job on our own," he explained. Parker knew he was right.
    "All right, I'll leave it to you two. But I will have to tell Venom about this!
    And I can't stop him when I do."
    Jack nodded his head. He understood Venom would be helping out, regardless.
    Jack handed two of the .45 pistols to Cletus. He put one in his own coat and
    checked the shotgun. Six shells left. "Jack, how are we going to follow the
    symbiote, anyway? I mean, we've got weapons, but nothing else."
    "Well, that's simple, Cletus. We follow the trail of death." Jack pointed out
    the window. A path of destruction could be seen from where Carnage had resurfaced.
    12:30 PM, Dr. Kafka's office
    Dr. Kafka sat at her desk, looking over more forms. The reports in yesterdays
    news had kept her too preoccupied. Carnage, a hero? She didn't believe it. Not
    after the pictures she had seen. The reporters must have made a mistake. Maybe
    a new hero in a similar costume? She couldn't worry about it now. She had papers
    to review.
    If she hadn't got up and turned to the filing cabinet, she might have seen the
    symbiote pour through a hole in the wall. By the time she turned back to her desk,
    the creature had formed into its humanoid shape. "What's up, DOC? Possibly my
    spirits, cause you're gonna DIE!"
    Carnage slowly stepped up to her. Before he had a chance to do anything more,
    the door to her office was kicked in. Cletus stepped in and fired several shots.
    The bullets passed through, but left small marks. Jack ran in. Stepping in front
    of Carnage, he took aim and unloaded two shots into Carnage's face. The symbiote
    screamed and ran off. Dr. Kafka looked up to see both standing in the room.
    "Cletus... but... Carnage," she muttered. Cletus looked down at the doc, who
    was still dazed. "I'll explain later!" Security officers ran into the room.
    They had tried to stop the two on their way up, but failed. Jack decided to take
    charge. "Okay. The symbiote is now independent of a host. But it can be hurt. You
    have a flamethrower on the premises?" One of the guards stepped forward. "We do."
    "Okay. Get it. We'll try to force Carnage up to the roof. I only have a few
    shells left, and we're probably low on bullets." The guards left the room. Jack
    ran out, and saw a few tendrils heading up some nearby stairs. "How many more
    floors to this place," Jack inquired. "Two, I think. I've never been to the roof,
    myself."
    Both men ran up the stairs. Jack fired again, hitting Carnage in the side. The
    symbiote slowly kept moving. Cletus fired a few more times, in an attempt to
    keep the creature moving. Reaching the top floor, Jack ran and slammed into
    Carnage, forcing him further along. As they moved on, Jack saw the roof exit.
    "You! Open that door!" The guards near the exit heard him and opened the small
    door. Carnage saw the door open and ran towards it, in the hopes he may escape
    his attackers. As he reached the top exit, he received another shotgun blast
    as he wrenched the door open. Jack and Cletus ran up the stairs, Cletus taking
    a few more shots until the gun was empty.
    "Cletus... old pal... you don't wanna do this. We can do so much..." Behind
    them, a guard ran up carrying a flame thrower, a basic cylinder backpack with
    a hand held firing wand. Cletus took it and turned on the pilot flame. Jack fired
    again, forcing Carnage to the edge of the fifteen story building. "Sorry,
    'old pal', but those days are over, and you're obsolete!"
    Kasady pressed the palm trigger and the flames shot out. Carnage was immediately
    engulfed, his screams barely audible against the crackling of the flames. Jack
    fired his last shell, which served enough to send Carnage over the edge of the
    building, into the street below. The force cracked the pavement. Carnage was left
    as a burning pile in the road, the traffic coming to a stop to avoid the creature.
    They watched as the remaining bits of the creature sunk into the cracks, into the
    sewers below.
    "Is it dead?", Jack asked. "I don't know. But without a human host, even with
    the ability to hold a humanoid shape, and with the damage it took... I don't
    expect to see any more of Carnage. And it's a nightmare I'm glad is over with."
    1:03 PM, Dr. Kafka's office
    Cletus sat in one of the small chairs. He had just sat through a long talk,
    explaining the past few days to the doctor. He didn't know what she found harder
    to believe, his story or the fact he was rehabilitated by pure coincidence. The
    only believable theory they could come up with was that the immunity booster had
    corrected an imbalance in his brain. The symbiote had then rejected him for no
    longer being a maniac. His thoughts were interrupted by a lab tech running into
    the room. "Tests on the blood are complete. Signs of symbiotic material in the
    blood are... negative," she explained.
    Dr. Kafka looked up from her desk. "Now that I have the final lab reports, I'm
    ready to make my final determination. Talking with the patient has convinced me
    that he no longer has any feelings of intense anger, or desires to kill people.
    Blood tests also show that the symbiote which fueled his desires is no longer
    present. Therefore, while I am hesitant to do so, I am signing your release papers.
    You are free to go." She signed the papers and handed them across the desk.
    "But doc....we don't know if this is permanent," he objected. "Cletus, do me
    a favor. I've hoped that one day you might be a normal part of society. Now that
    you're no longer a killer, enjoy your new life. Plus it seems to me your crimes
    were driven by an unnatural desire, which has been cured. Whether or not you
    have paid your debt to society, we may not know. I'll worry about that later.
    In the meantime, my decision is final."
    Cletus took the papers, looked them over, and handed them back to be filed
    away. He got up and Jack followed. At the door, Jack stopped and turned."Hey,
    what is this place, anyway?" Dr. Kafka stood up from behind her desk. She
    filed Kasady's release papers in her filing cabinet.
    "A high security facility for holding dangerous criminals with either deadly
    abilities or origins of incredibly evil. Beings that normal prisons and
    institutions can't hold. It used to be the same at Ravencroft, until it was
    closed down. Our previous facility served the same purpose, but downsizing in
    our budget has forced us into another building with less room."
    "Oh..." Both men left. Carnage was gone, and Cletus Kasady had been reborn.
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	8. Patchwork


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 8: Patchwork
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Monday, February 19th, 2001. 4:21 AM
    The bums hung out here. It was quiet and they weren't disturbed by those
    above. It wasn't a complex location by any means. Just an afterthought to
    the builders, long ago. Just a small area under the Brooklyn Bridge. But to
    these few, it was a home. But tonight, home is where the hurt is. A man in a
    dark, stained gray coat walked up to a lone man standing beside an old oil
    drum, with a fire burning for warmth. "Hey. Never seen you before, buddy!"
    The stranger didn't answer. He wasn't here for pleasantries. He only had
    one thing on his mind right now. He slowly pulled the black glove off his
    right hand. Reaching up, the twisted mess he had in place of fingers latched
    onto the man's face.... and crushed the front of his skull in. Slipping the
    black glove back on, he bent down and took the ugly black fedora the man had
    been wearing. He thought about this. In his damaged mind, one thought came
    to him.
    _'You won't need this anymore, "buddy".....'_
    Slipping it on his head, he took a rag from the ground and tied it around
    his face. This man had been homeless, but someone would find the body. They
    would soon be frightened that whoever did this would come after somebody of
    a higher social status. And with his appearance, and society's remaining
    intolerance for mutants, he would have to hide. Vengeance upon those who
    ruined him would be soon. And it would be short. His memories were almost
    gone, but he never forgot the faces of those who did this to him. So long
    ago. How long, he couldn't remember. Time was lost to him. Days, weeks,
    years, it blended together anymore. But not now. A few more of the local
    homeless were coming out. He ran off into the darkness.
    9:38 AM. Outside Jack's apartment building
    Cletus looked it over. It wasn't pretty, but in their situation, it would
    do. "Well? Come on, it really doesn't matter, it's all we have! Like it or
    not, it's a **car!**" Cletus knew Jack was right. It was an old car. A
    small silver hatchback, with more scratches than Jack's kitchen table. "Hey,
    I know we need a car, Jack. But how do you expect to pay this off?"
    Jack stepped out from the driver's seat. "Pay off? Did that already. The
    guy took cash for the old heap of junk." Cletus rolled his eyes. "How much,
    Jack?"
    "Well, cost isn't really-" "HOW MUCH?", Cletus demanded. "Okay, okay. A
    thousand!" If Cletus could roll his eyes back further, he would have. "Dammit,
    Jack! At this rate, we'll be broke within a month! And another thing, I know
    you needed more shells, but..." He pointed into the back seat, shouting,
    "...did you really need fifteen boxes?" Jack was about to bring up his reasons
    for spending like there was no tomorrow, but he was interrupted by a voice
    from above.
    "Hey, Jack. Get up here! There's somethin' on the news that's right up your
    alley!" It was Roger. Jack locked the doors to his new car and both men ran
    into the building.
    _"...experts say the only force that could have crushed a man's skull in
    this manner would the the tentacles of an octopus latching onto someone's
    face. Police believe the killer to be a mutant..."_ Jack stared at the scene
    on the television. The only reason a dead bum would attract this much coverage
    is if the media was afraid this killer might go after someone else. Homeless
    people are killed all the time without so much as an acknowledgement they
    existed. "Jack, you think we should check it out?" Jack had just turned the
    small television set off.
    "Well, I guess it could be nothing. But I really doubt some guy in a dumb
    suit calling himself 'Octopus Guy' did this. Whoever it was is probably
    dangerous. You ever get locked up with anyone like this?" "A few.... none
    with any kind of an octopus theme though. At least, not any with a MUTANT
    theme... Assuming that's what it was. Maybe the guy was just really strong?"
    Jack turned around. "Roger, I know you watch a lot of television since you
    can't get out much. If you see any more reports about this, let me know."
    The old man looked up from his small chair. "I'll do that. But what if this
    guy comes around here?" Jack looked over at his partner. "I doubt that will
    happen. But if it does, lock your door and hide." Both men left the apartment.
    "Cletus, I'm going to park the car in the alley. No one should touch it there.
    I'll need your help getting the ammo upstairs. I also bought several bullets
    for the pistols. It looks like we may need them."
    6:07 PM, Roger's apartment
    Jack watched the small set. The evening news was on, and the news was not
    good. Another murder. This time, one man's face crushed, his wife clawed to
    death, and their child had several bites taken out of him. Jack had sent Roger
    out of the room. He didn't want the old man to know what had happened to this
    family. "Jack, I recognized that man's name and face from the report. He was
    one of the guards at Jacobs's building. He was one of the two that ran off
    after I injected Jacobs with the infected drug."
    "You don't think... no... Jacobs is dead. Could he have had a backup in case
    he was betrayed?", Jack asked. "I never heard anything about it, myself. But
    it could be a coincidence. I mean, it's just this one man." Jack turned the
    set off. "I hope you're right. Otherwise, whatever this is..." Cletus knew what
    he was thinking.
    Wednesday, February 21st. 8:11 PM
    The news yesterday sealed it for both of them. Two more men who had worked
    for Jacobs were now dead. Their bodies had been mangled. Both men knew whatever
    it was would come after them. This apartment building would serve as their
    final stand against it, and they knew it would come. They deliberately left
    notes around the city announcing who they were and where they lived. It wasn't
    an obvious invitation, but enough for whoever this was to find them. They had
    sent all the tenants away to family and friends. They may have to destroy this
    building to stop whatever this was, and no innocent people were going to die
    in the process.
    Jack had given the landlord a couple stacks of bills in that event. He hadn't
    counted it out, but knew it had to be more than what this place was worth. A
    few of the local street gang members Jack knew fairly well had helped them
    soak this place in gasoline. The idea was to trap the thing inside and torch
    it. At least, they doubted bullets would hurt it much. It couldn't be human.
    They were pacing around inside the small apartment, waiting for it to arrive.
    Jack had moved all the necessary stuff to his car, aside from the immortality
    drug, which was in his coat pocket. The rest- furniture, food, useless junk-
    would go up in flames.
    Jack stopped as he heard footsteps below. His thoughts were jumbled. While
    he wanted to kill this thing as soon as possible, he was secretly hoping it
    was a tenant returning for something. No such luck. He turned around. At the
    entrance to his apartment, a man in a stained trench coat stood.
    "......you..."
    Both men looked at this creature. By all outward appearances, it was human.
    But the long coat, gloves, rag, and hat were enough to cover any mutations
    underneath. Cletus raised his pistol, but Jack held him off from firing. The
    creature slowly stepped into the apartment. He pulled off his right glove.
    His hand was a mess of tentacles. Octopus tentacles replacing fingers. They
    flailed around, the lack of bones keeping them from staying still. "You'll...
    all... pay..."
    He walked over to Jack. Before he could latch on, Jack delivered a swift
    punch to the man's stomach, and another across his face, knocking his hat
    off. His black hair, combined with patches of brown, could be seen. Jack bent
    down and ripped the rag off his face. Both men stepped back.
    "Jacobs!" Cletus recognized the face immediately, despite the deformities.
    Patches of brown fur, sharp, ugly teeth, one eye not matching the other.
    But he knew the face. Jacobs immediately spoke up. "No... Jacobs no longer...
    exists. Patchwork... my name is now.... Patchwork." Jack looked down at the
    monster. "You? But... how?" Cletus looked over.
    "The early batch I used must have been recent enough to give him the healing
    abilities. The animal bloods I mixed in must have sped the mutations, and
    the wounds made it work faster." Jack remembered blasting the man's right hand
    off. It would explain the tentacles. "Yes, you... two. I want you to take... a
    good, long look at... what you did... to me.."
    Jacobs ripped his coat open. His skin was divided into patches of green,
    gray, and brown fur spots. Lizard, shark, and wolf. He pulled off his left
    glove. His hand was an enlarged, humanoid wolf paw. "And now... I made you
    immortal... I can take it away... don't think I won't find a way," he threatened.
    Before the creature could stand, Cletus fired a few shots. Black blood poured
    from the wounds. Writhing in pain, Jacobs still stood. His hatred was enough to
    keep him going. But he hadn't noticed Jack move behind him. As he stood, a
    shotgun blast tore into his back. Jack used his chance to grab Jacobs by the
    back of his coat and force him into the open closet. Jack shut the door and
    locked it. He pulled out a pistol and fired a few shots through the door. The
    screams inside let him know he had hit his target. And, for good measure, he
    pushed his large living room chair in front of the small door. "He's not getting
    out of there. Trust me, I got locked in there once"
    Both men ran out of the apartment and down the stairs, through the back alley
    door. Reaching the car, Jack entered the driver's seat, tossing his shotgun in
    the back. Starting the car, he pulled out into the street. Stopping in front of
    the building, Cletus gout out from the passenger's seat. He removed a box of
    matches from his pants pocket, and lit one. He sat the remainder of the box in
    a small puddle of gasoline and threw the lit match in the box. Within seconds,
    a trail of flames moved down the main hall and up the walls. Cletus got back
    to the car and Jack sped off.
    Reaching a good distance from the building, they watched as it went up.
    The seven story apartment building was no more. Nothing more than a final
    resting place for Aram Wilson Jacobs. No....Jacobs no longer existed. He was
    now a monster. His name, Patchwork. But he was no more. No more would suffer
    because of his insane desires.
    Both men got out of the car. They had stopped to watch the events unfold.
    After all, not everyone saves the world from one man twice within a span of
    only a few days. And even fewer can claim to have killed the exact same man
    twice in the same time frame.
    Jack had turned away from the fire to watch one of the sets in the small
    electronics store window they had stopped in front of. It was some sitcom.
    Cletus ignored his laughter. But the sitcom would have to wait. It had been
    interrupted by a special news report. Jack waved for Cletus to watch, hoping
    it would be about the fire. It wasn't. It was even worse news.
    _"Earlier today, in Liverpool, England, one of the world's most dangerous super
    villains attacked a museum. Reports indicate the symbiotic killer, Carnage, was
    behind the destruction. Witnesses say the killer broke into the British Museum
    and stole a large sword. The sword was called "The Sword of the Evil Armies" by
    the museum curator. We go now...."_ Both men looked at each other, not saying
    a word. They shared the same thought, however. _'He's still alive. We didn't
    stop him, and now he's after something big...'_
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	9. Sub Nizzuran part 1


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 9: Sub-Nizzuran, part 1
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Friday, February 23rd, 2001. 11:33 AM
    Jack sped down the road. They were heading back to the city after a long
    drive. They had just had a battle with Carnage a few hours ago. It was a
    hard one, and the symbiote got away. He was using the sword he had taken
    as his main weapon. His tolerance to pain and injury also seemed a lot higher
    than before. Cletus bent down and flipped on the radio.
    _"....that ends the local weather report for today. In other news, the
    American Museum of Natural History will be unveiling a new exhibit today.
    Brought over by professor James Hartley from an expedition in the Middle East,
    a pendant entitled the "Heart of the Evil Armies" will be displayed for only
    three weeks before entering the professor's private collection. The pendant
    was lost many years ago, and has been sought after due to it's rare stones. It
    is believed to be related to "The Sword of the Evil Armies", stolen recently
    from the United Kingdom-"_
    Cletus flipped the radio off. "Sounds like a possibility, Jack. I mean,
    there's no reason for Carnage to travel that far for a simple sword! It had
    to be a connection!" Jack turned to him. "Let's just hope we can get there
    before he does! Let's see.... 79th street... we should be there in about fifteen
    minutes."
    "But Jack, we're further away than-" He shut up as Jack floored the gas pedal.
    11:45 AM, American Museum of Natural History, 3rd floor
    The Special Exhibition Gallery was filled with a few reporters. In the middle
    stood a large case, inside the glass a pendant sat. It was a small circular
    medallion, with a star inside. An early pentagram design. In each point of the
    star, a small red jewel was placed. The ring had an ancient writing. It was
    attached to a fresh gold chain.
    Professor Hartley stood to one side of the case. He had just finished a
    speech describing what he had to go through to get this, and how valuable it
    was to the world. A few of the reporters thought the guy was a self-centered,
    greedy man. He only seemed to care about it's monetary value. "Now, any final
    questions?"
    One of the reporters stood. "Where will you be taking this after the exhibit
    closes?" Hartley didn't bother to look over as he replied. "Simple, it will
    be going-" He stopped suddenly as a large sword poked through the ceiling. A
    red liquid ran down the blade and collected on the floor. Forming into the
    shape of a human, it pulled the sword through the ceiling.
    "It will be going with ME! RIGHT NOW!", the creature shouted. Carnage walked
    forward, the large sword in his hands. The reporters had begun to scatter.
    "Now, see here! You just can't- erk-" Hartley was silenced as the sword pierced
    his ribs. Pulling it out, Carnage inspected the case. Forming an axe blade with
    his left arm, he smashed through the glass and grabbed the pendant inside. As
    he picked it up to look it over, bullets entered his back. Turning, expecting
    to see security guards, he almost jumped as he saw who it was. Jack and Cletus
    had found him. Jack drew his shotgun and pumped the slide. Cletus walked forward.
    "Okay, Carnage. Enough of this. Drop the sword and the pendant, and I'll
    allow you to bond with me again!" Carnage stared both men down. "Cletus...
    I don't need you anymore! This form is proving more than enough. I don't need
    your... limitations!", the creature insulted.
    Jack fired a few shells. But the creature didn't even react! Carnage simply
    used the hole in his chest to his own advantage. Shoving the pendant inside, he
    sealed it within his body. He turned to the outer wall, and shoving the sword
    through, ran into it hard, crumbling the brick material. Both men ran over to the
    hole. Carnage was gone. Jack turned to the reporters left in the room.
    "Okay people! It's over. Go on home. We can handle it!" Jack knew he was lying
    like a dog. He didn't even know what the hell was going on! He almost didn't
    want to know.
    Outside
    Both men walked to the small car. As Jack was about to get in, he heard a voice
    nearby. "He has the sword and the heart." Both men looked over. It was an old
    priest, roughly mid-sixties. Jack looked him in the eyes. "Excuse me?"
    "Pardon my intrusion, but I have something important to tell you concerning
    Carnage. May I get in?" Cletus opened the passenger's side door and pulled the
    small lever, sliding the seat forward. The old man entered, sitting in an empty
    space beside several boxes of shotgun shells. Jack got behind the wheel."Okay,
    I'm assuming you don't want to talk here. Where to?", he asked. "West 52nd street"
    Jack turned the key. As soon as Cletus was in, he drove off.
    12:07 PM, 21 Club, West 52nd Street, Manhattan
    The three men stood at the hidden entrance to the wine cellar. The old
    priest grabbed the meat skewer and pressed it in the lock. "Fancy place
    to discuss stopping Carnage, ain't it? I mean, I would have expected a
    church, or something."
    This had only served to further Jack's belief this day was getting stranger.
    The three entered, none of the nearby employees paying any attention to them.
    Locking the door, the old man walked over to one of the wine racks. Removing
    one of the bottles, he reached in and turned something. The rack opened up to
    reveal a stone staircase. Replacing the bottle, he motioned for the two to
    enter. He followed them both, closing the hidden door behind him.
    "I knew this place had those hidden passages, but this tops it all!" The
    old priest turned to Jack.
    "Yes. Well, this sanctuary was here before the club was opened. As of now,
    the management and employees have granted access. They don't know what's here,
    only that it is significant to the Church. We don't bother them about the
    business above, and they don't interfere with this place. Even at that, I'm the
    only one who knows how to enter that door we just passed through"
    They reached the bottom of the staircase. Old torches served as the only
    light source. Inside, the scene resembled an ancient castle. A place lost in
    time. "Have a seat," the old man offered. Both men pulled out on the old wooden
    chairs and sat at the large table. "You two need to be told the truth," he
    began. "By all outward appearances, you are fighting the alien being known as
    Carnage. But the form hides the real truth. You are not fighting Carnage."
    Cletus looked up. "Then who are we fighting?" "Domientius," the old man
    replied. Jack and Cletus looked at each other, and spoke in unison. "Domientius?"
    "Yes. The Dark God. He who has existed since the beginning of time. He who
    desires to reign over this world, making everything below him suffer. We thought
    he was banished from this realm, but we were wrong. Cletus, it all started many
    years ago. The day you were born. August 11th, 1974. You do not remember anymore,
    but we pinpointed the date. You were possessed by the Dark God that instant. It
    is why you were evil your entire life."
    Cletus sunk in his chair. What was this guy saying? He hadn't been insane at all?
    He was possessed? He stood. "Whoa, whoa... hold it, pal... you're saying I should
    blame this 'thing'? But why? It served no purpose other than meaningless murder!
    _IT MAKES NO SENSE!_" The old man walked over to a book shelf and pulled down a large
    volume.
    "It makes perfect sense. You were merely a vessel. A thousand years ago, Domientuis
    was banished from this world by the ancient priests. His followers were either destroyed
    or left. He was sent to an eternal prison. Sub-Nizzuran. Some call it _Alt-World_.
    A parallel world to our own, with nothing. He was left alone as punishment for the
    deaths he had caused. But unfortunately, it was temporary. The gate opened somehow,
    and he got out. But with no body, no army, and no power, he needed a physical form.
    You. His coming was prophesized long ago. Assuming the date we have calculated is
    correct, and with your recent reformation, not to mention his appearance once again,
    it is only logical!"
    Jack stood up this time. "So... how do we fight Dommy-whatever? And what's with the
    sword and pendant?" The old man opened the large book. On the pages were old drawings
    of both. "The sword is his weapon. The pendant is his power source. The Sword and
    Heart of Domientius. He has those now. Meaning, this room is the only thing standing
    between freedom and destruction."
    "Heh? I don't think this room will do much," Jack commented. "That is, if Cletus
    ever stops mumbling to himself!"
    "There is one more artifact. His book. It contains the spells and incantations he
    needs. If he gets that, he can open a gate to Alt-World. Many of his army were sent
    there as well. But now that he has a body..... he can shape Alt-World into a physical
    form. A form based on what he is. But there is hope, even if that happens. You see,
    the symbiote is alive, and has a mind.... a soul of its own. It influences Domientius,
    and limits him. He needs a new body, one with no soul. It would have to be made.
    Defeating him before that happens would stop him"
    Jack thumbed through the book. Mostly old writings and a few drawings. "Is this his
    book?" "No. The book is well hidden. This is just a reference on many evil Gods."
    Jack stopped on one page. It had a drawing of a long bodied creature, two arms featuring
    long, tattered wings. No legs, and the mouth appeared to be covered with something. The
    eyes were small and dark.
    "That, my dear boy, is Domientius," the old man told him. Cletus stood from his
    seat. "All right. We have to stop Carnage. Jack, we should visit doc Kafka. I may
    have said something in my ranting which may be important."
    "Very well, you two. Do what you must, but remember- failure is not an option," he said.
    "I've done all I can for now. There is an exit to the surface on the other end of this
    room. It leads to a subway station. It's only a one-way door, otherwise I would have
    brought you in through there." Both men got up and walked across the room. Opening the
    door, they walked through a small passageway and out into a nearby subway station. Had
    they stayed longer, they might have seen the trail of red slide under the door.
    12:39 PM, Dr. Kafka's office
    Jack and Cletus walked into the room. "Doc, we need to look over some of my old
    records. It may be-" Cletus stopped speaking as soon as he noticed the military
    general in the chair opposite Dr. Kafka. "Gentleman. A pleasure to meet you"
    The man stood. He was also in his mid-sixties, but looked younger than the old priest
    they had just left. "My name is Peterson, US Army. I know who you two are. And I've been
    looking for the both of you. I believe I may be able to help you stop Carnage." Jack sat
    down. The driving and excitement had tired him. Cletus walked forward. "How can you help
    us? An army of two and an army of two hundred is no different to Carnage," Cletus
    explained. The general removed his hat. "Simple. The fighting will be left to you. However,
    we are going to offer you some special weaponry."Several soldiers entered the room. Two of
    them were carrying a large glass cylinder.
    "This is a VCU- Vacuum containment unit. It is used for holding liquids in an airtight
    seal for transportation. The piece on top is a vacuum unit for sucking in the liquids.
    If you can get close enough, it should hold him. That casing is shatter-proof. Shoot at
    it if you don't believe me." Another soldier sat down a large black bag.
    "And this is an area demolition explosive. It can level an area of three square city
    blocks. A bit much, but if you want something done right, it's best to go overboard
    than to underestimate." Cletus looked across the desk. "I know, Cletus. I checked your
    records. I didn't find anything that might help." Jack stood.
    "Cletus, these new weapons could come in very useful," he commented. General Peterson
    stepped closer to the two. "Speaking of weapons, we have more," he said, handing Jack a
    belt. "A shotgun belt. It should make carrying that thing much easier. Also, hand grenades
    with a torso belt, and torso belts for pistol and shotgun ammo. All right, men. Get that
    VCU down to their vehicle. Bring in the rest." The general left. Men walked in with the
    rest of the equipment and left. Jack walked over to the desk and pulled out the tube.
    "Doc, put this up for us. Don't open it, don't remove any, don't tell anyone you have
    it! We'll get it later." She took the tube from the young man. Jack and Cletus put on
    their belts and loaded up on the available ammunition. Cletus put the black bag on his
    back by means of the shoulder straps. Both men left the room.
    Outside
    Both men walked towards the car. Before they could get to it, however, a loud scream
    cut through the air. Looking over, they saw the source. It was Carnage. "Hello, 'Maximum
    Carnage'! Tell me, how does it feel to have lost?" The nearby soldiers raised their
    weapons. Nearby pedestrians had gathered around to watch, from a safe distance. Carnage
    pulled a book out from behind his back.
    "What the... Jack... he got the book!", Cletus screamed. "What? How?" Carnage stepped
    forward. "You led me right to him! I saw that door open. I couldn't help but walk in
    and talk to that old relic. The last of a religious army that once stopped me. AND NOW
    IS NO MORE! This world.... IS MINE!"
    Carnage opened the book and began to utter a passage in an ancient language. Soldiers
    opened fire, but the bullets dissolved as they hit an invisible field. As he recited more
    of the passage, the scene grew worse. Winds had picked up, and lightning filled the air.
    "...and as I raise my weapon to the sky, I grant that the door to Sub-Nizzuran....SHALL
    BE OPENED!"
    As Carnage finished the passage, a bolt struck the tip of the sword. Turning around,
    Carnage pulled the sword back and jabbed it forward. It literally pierced the air. A beam
    of light went out from the entry point, as if the air was cracking open. And it was. The
    crack grew, and the sky began to shatter, as if it were a brick wall breaking open. Opening
    into a large hole, Jack knew what it was. It was an interdimensional vortex. Only this
    one was not the result of a computer image. It was real. They watched helplessly as Carnage
    walked through. After he entered, the winds increased. A vacuum effect.
    The winds increased. Several bystanders had been pulled in already. Struggling, Jack
    lost his footing and was pulled in. "JACK! NO!" Cletus did the only thing he though
    reasonable. He ran forward and into the vortex. With a bright flash, it closed. The
    sky was once again whole.
    Jack slowly got up from the street. He looked over to see Cletus making his way up
    as well. "Hey, weren't we just..." He cut his sentence short as he looked around. It
    looked like the area they were just in. Same street and buildings. But it was all wrong.
    The area was filthy, the buildings aged considerably. And the sky. The sky was a dark red.
    "Cletus... I think we're in Sub-Nizzuran..."
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	10. Sub Nizzuran part 2


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 10: Sub-Nizzuran, part 2
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Friday, February 23rd, 2001. Time unknown
    They had been walking. They didn't know how long, exactly. Ten, maybe fifteen
    minutes. Neither had a watch. And it looked as if time had no meaning here. This
    was a twisted image of our world. Sub-Nizzuran, as the ancients called it.
    Otherwise known to the world as the Alt-World. They walked down the faintly
    familiar roads, only familiar by location and basic shape. But this wasn't New
    York. It wasn't exactly real. This realm shaped itself based on the heart and
    desires of the first intelligent life form to enter an opened vortex. And
    Carnage had been the first to enter.
    Jack looked in one of the windows. A restaurant, it seemed. He could see a few
    people inside. Assuming they were human. Jack decided against a conversation
    with any of them. Cletus had looked up at one of the street signs on the corner.
    The writing was unfamiliar. Gibberish, maybe. Possibly an old language.
    They continued on. The sights were nightmarish. Trees with beating hearts, people
    wearing blood-stained clothing, the shops selling the most bizarre and frightening
    goods. Cletus recognized this place, all too well. He had hallucinated this place.
    Carnage called it "the real world.....the world underneath". And now it was real.
    Continuing on, Jack stopped as he noticed something wrong. Where the street
    should continue, the city stopped, turning into grass and trees leading into
    a series of small hills. "It's not an exact mirror, after all. Jack, we should
    check it out. At the least, we may be able to get high enough to view the
    entire city." "Well, it beats hanging around Holocaust central. Let's do it."
    Leaving the cracked pavement behind, they stepped out into the grass. It
    cracked under them. It was dead and dry. The trees didn't look any better.
    Jack bent down and brushed some of the crumbled material off his shoes. He
    knew it was a waste of time, but he did it anyway. Walking into the thick
    forest, the shadows made walking harder. The ground was uneven at best, and
    it was hard to see. As they walked onward, a small growl could be heard. The
    two men looked around, but saw nothing.
    They heard it again, louder this time. And again, even louder. Jack could
    see something in the shadows. It was a small animal. Before Jack could pull
    his shotgun from his new belt, the thing charged them. It ran fast for
    something so low to the ground. And it screamed out as it ran. It sounded
    like a pig and a bear screaming out in a high-pitched whine. Both men ran as
    fast as they could, trying not to trip as they ran. "JACK... WHAT THE HELL...?"
    "JUST RUN, CLETUS!"
    Reaching an opening, and seeing they were a good distance from it, Jack
    pulled his shotgun out. As it entered the clearing, he fired. It let out a
    small yelp as it died. Jack looked down at it. It was about a meter long, red
    skin and a long tail. It's claws and teeth were a dull white, stained and
    chipped. The front teeth were large, enough to work with the length of the
    jaws do do some real damage if it bit something. It's tail was tipped by a
    long spike. Jack also noticed something odd about this thing. It had no eyes.
    "Jack....what do you think it is?"
    Before he could answer, a fresh voice cut in. "It's a Krylakk!" Both men
    turned around to see who had answered. It was an old man, late seventies, dressed
    in old rags. He must have been a part of this twisted world. Cletus walked
    over to him. "A **_WHAT?_**," he asked. "I said it's a Krylakk. It's a
    lizard!" Jack had reached into his coat for another shell to replace the one
    he had just fired. Cletus continued to listen.
    "Yes sir, those Krylakk's are mean. They'll eat everything... skin, hair,
    meat, bones... all of it. Digest it all, too. No excrements. They were
    created from the blood spilled in violent wars that had been cursed and
    given new life. But you have to watch out form them Screelaks too." Cletus
    had stepped closer. The old man was clearly blind. "Screelak? What's it look
    like?"
    "Oh. like this..." The old man stepped back as his clothes and skin began
    to split. As it tore away, his form grew. When it was completed, he had grown
    considerably in size to a height of seven feet. This creature was a dark
    brownish-red, bony protrusions and small spikes covering its body. The head
    had two horns, both broken off near the base. It had large yellow eyes, and
    was bent over. It had no visible mouth. "Uhh... Jack... "
    It opened it's mouth. It was hidden by the fleshy material around the mouth,
    but once opened, it was big enough to swallow a man's head. It was lined with
    long, sharp teeth. Jack had just looked up from his task to see this thing.
    "Cletus... on my signal... " Jack pumped the slide and raised his weapon.
    "DOWN!", he screamed.
    Cletus dropped to the ground as Jack fired, hitting the creature in the face.
    He fired again, hitting the creature in the chest. It fell backwards. Stepping
    closer, he pulled out a pistol and fired a few bullets to make sure it was dead.
    Deep inside a large hollowed out room, a being watched these events in a
    vision projected from the wall. "So... the heroes made their way in," it
    remarked. The being turned away from the wall. It floated over to a large
    throne in near the back wall. On the throne sat a large red blob. A face stuck
    out from the top. "What's the matter, Domey? Didn't think things through?
    Probably not. I mean, thanks to you not bonding with me earlier, those two
    were only able to KICK MY ASS!"
    The Carnage symbiote sat in a small pile in the seat. He had been yelling at
    the Dark God himself... Domientius. "It doesn't matter. Soon we will have my
    new body constructed. Then it will only be a matter of time until the gate
    opens, and I pass through. Then the world will die. **I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE
    ON THEM ALL!**"
    The symbiote stretched out into a humanoid shape, though thin, and stood.
    "Domey, Domey.... yeah, I know you're upset about the whole exile thing, and
    finding me hasn't been exactly a bonus, but seriously, get over it." Domientius
    floated around the room. "No matter. These... setbacks have proven insufficient
    in halting my plans. If anything, they served to further it! Who knew human
    life forms could be so helpful? Aside from when you force them into slavery.
    Soon, though..."
    "Here we go again, more of your **BITCHING!**"
    Ignoring the symbiote, he continued, "... the old priest may have lied to
    your former host about me. I may be able to use that to my advantage."
    "Listen. I don't mean to sound rude, but I don't care. I'm a symbiote from
    another planet. I like blood. I don't like insane rambling... unless it's my
    own, of course." "Now you listen here," Domientius shouted.
    "NO! YOU LISTEN! Remember, you need me for now. And until you can drop
    me, I'd suggest you do as I say! Otherwise..." It pointed a tendril at the
    lava pools. "...I may just go for a swim. And then you're stuck here."
    Their conversation was interrupted when a lone Screelak walked up the stone
    stairs to the throne. "Sir Domientius. The humans taken from Earth have had
    their organic materials stripped and separated. We are ready to finish the body"
    Domientius flew into the symbiote. Carnage inflated to a full humanoid form.
    "Excellent! Begin immediately. I want it finished within two days!"
    Jack walked over to the edge of the hill. He expected to see more dirt below,
    but instead, saw nothing at all. The edge of this hill was literally the edge
    of the world. he looked to both sides to see this edge continue on. "Hey, Cletus.
    This world is flat! And I think it's small, too"
    Cletus had been thinking the same thing. How big was this world? It had
    clearly taken the form of part of Manhattan, but it wasn't all in order. Things
    were too cramped. This world probably wasn't meant to be a permanent world. He
    stood from the rock he had been sitting on. Brushing off his jeans and brown
    t-shirt, he started walking to another nearby edge. He could see something over
    the side. At first, it looked like a rock formation. But it soon became recognizable.
    "Jack... get over here... " He pointed downward. Jack saw it too. It was a
    skull, attached to a partial body. Areas were covered with muscle and skin.
    "Jack... it's Domientius... they're building his body!"
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	11. Sub Nizzuran part 3


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 11: Sub-Nizzuran, part 3
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Friday, February 23rd, 2001. Time unknown
    Both men had snuck down the edge of the hill to get closer to the large
    form. It was clearly the new form of Domientius, the one he meant to take
    over the world with. Assuming he only meant to take it over. The skin
    covered only the bottom areas. Further upwards, the muscle disappeared,
    revealing unfinished bone. Along the sides, openings could be seen. Screelaks
    were using these to enter and exit. Some were hauling in large carts filled
    with building materials. "Cletus, we have to get in there and sabotage
    whatever they're doing!"
    "But how?", he asked. Jack pointed to the large backpack Cletus was wearing.
    It was the area demolition explosive. "Maybe. But first, we have to get in
    there. I don't think those things will stand by and just let us waltz right
    in! Besides, if it doesn't work, we'll have wasted our best shot at wasting
    Carnage himself"
    "I know that, Cletus. But we have no idea where Carnage is. At least, if
    we can do this, it will throw a monkey wrench in his whole plan!" Cletus
    let out a sigh. "Why couldn't an experienced hero team have been pulled
    through instead of us? Okay... we'll sneak around to the south. I'll use
    one of these grenades as a distraction. It should give us time to get inside."
    Jack nodded. They snuck along the stone edge until they were parallel to
    the openings. Cletus removed one of his grenades. Pulling the pin, he tossed
    it into a pile of bones. The explosion sent bone fragments everywhere.
    Screelaks within a close distance were injured, the rest running over to
    check out what had happened. In the confusion, Jack and Cletus ran to one
    of the openings. Inside, it was almost a nightmare.
    The body had a network of tunnels running through it. They led past unfinished
    organs and tissue. Both men walked on, the soft muscle floor making the journey
    harder and more sickening. They reached a small opening. They could see a few
    Screelaks at work. They were building up muscle around something. They pulled
    out a small piece of muscle from the cart, set it in place, and poured some liquid
    on it from an old goblet. The muscle grew and fused into place.
    The creatures wandered off down the opposite path. The two walked over to
    inspect the area. Jack noticed the floor got softer. Looking down, he realized
    he was standing on a long tongue. "Jack, what did they say the blast range on
    this was?" He thought for a second, finally replying, "Uhh... three blocks, I
    think. Why?"
    Cletus walked down the small hall of flesh. He neared a large, red object in
    the center. It was the heart. It was rather large, and looked to be complete.
    "A body this size and density could absorb some of the blast, right?", Cletus
    asked. "I don't know. I never took advanced physics."
    " Well... the heart might be a good place to set this. The brain might be better,
    but it could leave something intact. Besides, I imagine if that demon is going to
    possess this, the brain wouldn't matter. The heart sounds more important." Jack
    looked around. On the ground, he saw a long carving blade. Picking it up, he
    walked over and stabbed into the heart. Cutting a long gash, he threw the knife
    away. Cletus pulled the backpack off. Unzipping the flap, he pressed a few buttons.
    Jack pulled the heart open.
    "I set it for only four minutes. We'll have to move fast," he said. Jack pulled
    his shotgun. "Switch it on." Cletus reached in and pressed the activation button.
    Running out into the front, Jack took out a Screelak which had wondered in to the
    area. Making their way through the maze, they reached an outside opening. Ignoring
    the Screelaks, they ran forward as far as they could. Reaching a small ledge, they
    jumped down to the ground below. Screelaks began marching over to their location.
    "I hope that thing goes off soon," Jack muttered under his breath.
    As the first few reached the ledge, the body tore into numerous fragments as
    the explosive went off. The force knocked the nearby creatures forward, several
    feet past the small ledge. After the sound had cleared and the last of the debris
    landed, Jack looked over the edge. Screelaks were scattered all over, in pieces.
    The body itself remained in only a few pieces. Most of it was scattered in piles
    in the nearby radius. The body had blocked most of the explosive force, but took
    all the impact.
    Domientius floated in front of the hazy viewing window. **"NOOOOOO! IMPOSSIBLE!"**
    The symbiote sat in the throne, laughing.
    "HAHAHA! I told you! You should have taken them down as soon as they got
    here! But you didn't think it was worth the trouble. If I had a body, I'd do
    it myself..." The spirit floated over to the throne.
    "Two humans should not have this much power... could those artificial drugs
    really have granted them the powers of the Gods? Not even the ancients were this
    powerful. Perhaps you are right... you need a body. But we'll do it my way!" The
    demon entered the symbiote. Inflating, the gestalt creature stood. Picking up the
    book and the heart, he placed the heart in his chest and opened the book to a
    specific passage. Standing in front of a stone altar, he began to recite an ancient
    passage.
    As he read, stones buried in the altar began to glow. As he finished, the stones
    lit up, and sent beams into the five stones of the heart pendant. Carnage's normal
    boot-like feet were changed. The heels rounded out, and the ends split into toes.
    Long spikes grew from his fingertips and toes. His standard black teeth changed into
    white spikes, and all over his body, the smooth muscular shape gave way to bone-like
    decorations. Both creatures had fully bonded into a monster. The humanoid form of
    Carnage was no more. The Carnage ntity had taken its place.
    A Screelak walked up the stairs. This was one of the few who could speak. This
    was one of the few who carried orders to the Screelaks who couldn't speak, or
    think. This was one of the few that used to be a human. "Ah... there you are.
    Prepare all Screelaks. I want the two humans hunted down! BRING THEM TO ME! Use
    Krylakks if you have to. JUST MAKE SURE IT GETS DONE!"
    Cletus stood above Jack. They were both very tired. But sleeping in this place
    wasn't the best choice. They were going to have to do this in shifts. Jack had been
    out for a while. Maybe an hour, Cletus couldn't tell. But it wasn't sleep that had
    worried him. It was food. They would need to eat something eventually, and this place
    wasn't exactly a buffet. They may have to resort to killing and cooking those red
    lizards. Water was also a problem. They hadn't seen a drop. He hoped they would
    stumble on Carnage soon, otherwise they may not make it. Immortality was one thing,
    but not even that could make up for eating. Even if they lived, they would be thin
    bodies laying around, watching the world die.
    His thoughts were halted by a few noises from nearby. They sounded familiar.
    He had heard those large, red things making them. He poked at Jack, shouting,
    "Hey, get up!" Jack slowly crawled up from the ground. "Jack, we need to think
    fast," Cletus said. "We need to find a logical spot for Carnage to be hiding. We
    can't last long here. We'll starve. Those things will eventually get us. These
    weapons are all we have left."
    Jack stood and looked down at the false city area below the hills."Well, I've
    been thinking about that. It seems like he would hang out in the center. I've
    estimated the area of this place to be roughly a mile and a half in diameter.
    And the center houses various buildings. We get to the center and look for a way
    in."
    Cletus liked the idea. It may not work, but it was something. And it came just
    in time, too. Seconds later, Screelaks poured from the edge of the forest. It was
    as if this journey were a joke, the cosmos laughing at both men. Sent into another
    world, finding the game far too easy, until it was decided they would simply lose.
    "Cletus... I think now would be a _good_ time to test that idea!"
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	12. Sub Nizzuran part 4


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 12: Sub-Nizzuran, part 4
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    2001, Date and Time unknown
    Cletus look around. The creatures had gathered all around them. There must
    have been hundreds of them. Not to mention the lizard creatures. At best, they
    could kill most of them. But that would require every last bit of weaponry they
    had. Then they would have lost. But it wasn't over yet. Cletus saw the small
    ledge pointing towards the city wasn't blocked off. He pulled both his .45 pistols.
    "Jack... on my signal..." Cletus began firing. Jack let loose with his shotgun.
    "RUN!"
    Both men made tracks to the ledge, hoping there was nothing below. It was
    just a few meters until they could jump down. Tossing a grenade into a nearby
    pack, it was enough of a distraction to let both of them reach the edge and jump
    down the few feet to the ground below. The path ahead was clear. Both men ran
    forward, hoping to reach the city.
    **"I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!"**
    Carnage watched the events unfold from his projection window. They had gotten
    away from an entire platoon. The Screelak in the room knew he was in for it.
    "Sir," it began, "might I add that the troops are weak. We have not eaten in
    over a thousand years. Most Screelaks are stupid to begin with, and the time alone
    in nothing only made them dumber... And the Krylakks are nothing more than
    walking piranha. They don't know how to use strategy..."
    Carnage walked over to the frightened creature. "Well... they're trying to
    get to me. So, if the troops are too weak to hold them off... **LET THEM COME!** I
    will take care of them myself!"
    Both men had wandered into the heart of the city. They didn't have much trouble,
    just a few Screelaks, which were easily taken care of. They had stopped to reload
    their weapons. Cletus only had a few grenades left. Jack looked both ways down
    the street. Each way looked to be about the same distance until the buildings ended.
    Cletus looked up at the nearest building. "Jack... does this building look a little
    familiar to you?" Jack looked at the facade of the building. "Yes... the 21 Club...
    at least, a copy of it"
    "Remember those hidden passages, Jack?", he asked. "I get it. We're near the center
    of this place. This building should mirror certain aspects. It would make sense for
    the wine cellar here to lead below." Both men stepped forward and opened the front
    doors. Inside, people could be seen at the tables. Spotting the two, they immediately
    shed their skins to reveal Screelaks. "Cletus... WASTE 'EM!"
    Jack pointed his shotgun and fired. Cletus opened fire with his pistols. The
    creatures fell. "That... was a little too easy, Jack," Cletus uttered, now worried.
    "I agree. Let's go downstairs"
    Reaching the steps, a lone Krylakk blocked their way. Jack put it out of his misery
    with a single shell. They headed downward. In the kitchen, Screelaks could be seen
    playing with the food. They had no idea what the equipment was for, if it even worked.
    Before they could be spotted, Cletus threw a grenade, blowing up an opposite corner of
    the room. While the creatures moved over to investigate, both men ran towards the wine
    cellar door. But there was no visible lock. As Jack screamed a few obscenities under
    his breath, Cletus unhooked his last grenade.
    "Who needs a key when you have explosives?"
    Standing back, Cletus pulled the pin and rolled the grenade into the small passageway.
    Seconds later, the explosion echoed throughout the room. Knowing the Screelaks would
    head this way, they ran over to the door. It was still standing, but barely. Jack heard
    the creatures getting closer. With a rush of energy, he threw his weight into the door.
    It fell over, a loud squeal being shouted as it landed. It had fallen on a Krylakk.
    They stepped into the room. The table was absent, but the bottles were still in
    place. They looked the walls over. Each bottle had it's proper label on the bottom,
    but instead of celebrity names, names of tyrants, murderers, and demons adored the
    bottles. Cletus picked one up. It was filled with blood. Disgusted, he smashed it
    on the floor. Jack pulled bottles down, searching for an opening. Finally, he reached
    in and found a long chain. Pulling on it, the wall pulled open, revealing a doorway
    leading down.
    Screelaks had begun to pour into the room. They barely fit through the door, as
    their height and bulk was almost too big for the opening. Both men ran in through
    the opening in the wall, deciding it would be a bad idea to stay and fight. Jack
    pulled the door shut behind him.
    They walked down the stairs. It wasn't as they had remembered. These stairs seemed
    to have been carved out of the rock, and they were uneven. The stairs also wound
    down in a strange fashion. The area was lit, but not by any visible means. Finally,
    they reached the bottom.
    The area was not even close to the room they had remembered. It was a large, open
    room, carved out from the rock. A large lava pit filled the middle, broken only by
    the stairs leading to the throne. Carnage sat on the throne, a Screelak beside him.
    "WELCOME! Welcome, Cletus! The both of you are too late to stop me. Within minutes, I
    will open the gate. Don't think you halted my plans. Throughout these few weeks, every
    time you though you were saving yourself from evil, you only managed to further my
    plans ahead of schedule. This alien serves as a useful host. And as a stronger body
    than the one I tried to construct," Domientius shouted. "But I will enjoy disposing
    if the both of you first. I want you to watch as I ruin your planet. **I WANT YOU TO
    WITNESS THE END!**"
    Before either could respond, the Screelak marched forward, down the steps. Jack fired
    from his .45, but the bullets barely phased the creature. "Yes... you killed so many of
    my kind so easily. But a healthy Screelak will have no trouble against you!", it said,
    clearly threatening them.
    Both men looked at each other. Jack had a plan. He ran to one side of the room
    and opened fire from his shotgun. He wasn't going for a killing shot, but he hoped
    the force would knock it back. After a shot to the legs, the creature fell back,
    into the lava. Its screams could be heard from the liquid as it burned to death.
    Not even a stronger body could save it from the fires of Hell.
    Carnage stood. The games were over. It was time for the real battle to begin.
    Picking up his sword, he recited another passage, from memory. Finishing, his
    body changed once more. Spikes grew from his head, forming a crown. A thin sheet
    grew from his back, connecting both his arms in a long wing-like cape. He walked
    forward and move down the steps.
    "When I finish with you, I will torment you both," he screamed. "Cletus, you
    will watch as I rip Spider-Man to pieces. Then I will shove Venom into the lava
    pools. And after the personal torment, you will be planted in the ground to
    watch as the world crumbles!" Carnage reached the bottom of the stairs. Jack
    rose his shotgun.
    He fired the remainder of his shells into the symbiote, but they had no effect.
    The wounds filled instantly. Jack ducked behind a nearby pillar and reloaded his
    weapon. Cletus fired at the creature himself, but it did no good. Carnage raised
    his sword and swung. The tip of the large blade cut a long slice across Cletus's
    forehead as it passed by. Pulling back the large sword, he pkunged it forward,
    into Cletus's stomach. "Yes... you're on the other end now! But you'll live..."
    He pulled the sword out. Cletus slumped to the ground, in severe pain. Carnage
    kicked him repeatedly. Jack had watched it all. He raised his shotgun and fired
    several shells into the monster's back. Turning around, Carnage began to walk towards
    Jack, preparing to do to Jack what he had just done to his former body. But in their
    combined mind, neither Carnage nor Domientius saw this for what it was. A distraction.
    Cletus pulled out one of his pistols. Firing into Carnage's back, the bullet
    passed through and knocked the pendant from the demon's chest. It slid across the
    floor. Jack jumped for it, slapping his left hand on the chain before it fell into
    the lava. Carnage shook in a slight amount of pain. Shaking it off, he turned back
    to Cletus. Jack had discovered a weakness. The heart was no mere pendant. It was
    connected to Domientius. It was a physical representation of him. And hurting it hurt
    him. And Jack wasn't about to let the world die. Not now.
    Carnage continued to kick Cletus like an old pillow. He laughed insanely. He
    enjoyed mistreating humans. He saw humans as a lower life form. One that didn't
    deserve to rule the planet. He saw himself as the only being worthy of that honor.
    But something was happening to him. He felt pain. Severe pain. He turned to see
    Jack slowly lowering the pendant into the lava. Carnage's body began to smoke. He
    dropped his sword, the pain was so severe. His cape and crown slowly retracted.
    "You think that will stop me, human? Even if it does... you're stuck here."
    Jack didn't look up, but answered anyway. "I guess that's just too bad, Carnage.
    But you're still fucked." He lowered the pendant further. Carnage tried to make
    his way to the young man, but his steps were slowing down. The pain was too
    much. Finally, Jack had sunk the entire pendant, holding on only by the chain.
    Carnage's features returned to normal. The spikes and bony protrusions had sunk
    back in. Before Carnage could take one more step, his body burst into flames.
    Unholy flames.
    Carnage screamed as loud as he could. He was in too much pain to do anything.
    He stood in place, burning. Jack didn't dare pull the pendant out. Finally, the
    flames went out, and the symbiote fell backwards. It splattered on the stone
    floor. It was unconscious. By this time, a few Screelaks had made their way down
    the stairs. Before any of them could run in, however, the structure began to
    shake. Jack pulled the pendant out and ran over to Cletus, who was still conscious.
    "Jack... what's going on...?"
    "I don't know, but Carnage is out. I hope whatever it is, it happens soon!"
    As the few creatures entered the open space, a long crack began to open in the
    floor. As it widened, a bright light poured out. The crack ran across the lava,
    up the back wall, and across the ceiling. The room wasn't collapsing. The
    universe was. Jack grabbed Cletus by the shoulders and pulled him back. Areas
    around the vortex crack had disappeared. The artificial world was falling apart.
    It's creator was unconscious. It had nothing to hold on to. Jack prepared for
    the ground to give way. However, the vortex opened wider. In a strong gust of
    wind, both men were picked up and pulled through the vortex....
    Saturday, February 24th. 3:42 PM.
    Jack was helped up from the ground. As he looked up, he saw a few of the soldiers
    he had met earlier. He pulled himself to his feet. Cletus was being helped up as
    well. Jack looked to his side and saw a red pile. "THERE! Carnage!" General Peterson
    had stepped out into the opening. "Corporal! Get the VCU!", he ordered.
    Two of the soldiers walked up with the large glass case. Setting it down near
    the symbiote, they turned the device on. Sticking the hose into the pile, Carnage
    was sucked into the container. Cletus had just been pulled to his feet. Inspecting
    himself, he found his forehead scratch gone, and his stab wound nothing more than
    a red mark. The General walked over to both of them. "Congratulations! You did it.
    Let's go inside and get you two cleaned up."
    Cletus walked in with the general and a few soldiers. Jack stayed behind to
    look around. They were definitely back home. If the road had been clean, Jack
    would have kissed it. Looking around a little more, he spotted a few things of
    interest. The pendant, book, and sword. Dumping his torso belts, he picked all
    three up. He stuck the pendant and book in his coat pockets and slid the sword
    in beside his shotgun.
    3:54 PM
    Cletus drank a glass of water. He had almost forgotten what it had tasted like.
    Jack sat down in one of the chairs against the wall. The general was finishing
    gathering all the information he needed. "All right. Technically, you were gone
    for over 24 hours. However, you say you can only recall several hours passing?"
    Seeing that Cletus was too busy shoving chips down his throat, Jack decided to
    answer. "That's right. But time seemed to have no meaning in that place"
    Before the general could ask anything else, two soldiers entered the room.
    They were carrying a large animal, its mouth strapped shut. "Sir, we found this
    outside. We-" Jack stood. "KRYLAKK! That's that lizard thing I mentioned!"
    "Well, men. It seems we have a new species of animal to study. Secure it and
    take it to Washington with the symbiote." While the general was distracted, Jack
    walked over to the desk. Dr. Kafka opened her desk drawer and took out the tube.
    Jack took it, neither of them saying a word. The general turned around. "All
    right, I have enough information" As the general walked off, Cletus stood.
    "Hey, what about us?", he demanded. "Oh, yes. I did have something to ask. I
    would like to hire you as special agents for the government. You seem to be
    rather adept at saving the world, and you would be doing your country a big
    favor!" Cletus stood. Jack stepped forward. "Listen... we quit. There is no way
    we're doing that again! Cletus got beaten like a side of beef, I saw stuff that
    I was told didn't exist... we're taking a break. But if you ever need anything
    small, just call us"
    The general saluted them and walked out of the room. The two privates by the
    door followed. Cletus turned to the doctor. "Listen doc... thanks. Thanks for
    having faith in me. You were right," he told her. "Well, Cletus... I think
    everyone under my care has a chance at redemption. And you became a hero because
    I never gave up on you. Wherever you go next... enjoy your freedom."
    Cletus turned and walked out of the room. Jack looked over at the doctor.
    "I'll be sure to keep an eye on him." Doc Kafka simply gave a slight smile
    as Jack turned and left the office.
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    

* * *


	13. Returning Home


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage - 9/11
    Returning Home - Cletus Kasady
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    I was unsure why I'd come back. The city held many bad memories for
    me. I'd seen it all on television, I didn't need to see this up close.
    I was punishing myself by coming back. Maybe I'd come here knowing it
    would be this bad, I wasn't sure.
    The city was filled with dust. Panic. The city ignored me. It was
    for the best, I guess. So many dead, so much damage. I was the last
    visual reminder these people needed.
    I had killed them. Saved them. Terrorized them, brought them peace.
    Threatened them, and comforted them. I knew why this had happened. The
    madmen responsible, the psychotic masterminds. There was no justification.
    No God, no retribution, nothing. They were praising this.
    This filthy species... no, I'm not human anymore. So what if I'm not?
    I have every right to badmouth humanity for this. They never learn, they
    never have. New York suffers because too few have hope, too many remain
    ignorant. How many times should they have simply killed Carnage? How many
    did he kill? I can't even remember. I can't remember how many _I'D_
    killed. A thousand, two thousand...
    Maybe they'll learn this time. Find the mastermind, put a bullet in his
    head. If they don't, I'd dread to think of what will happen. Carnage all
    over again. This city does not need this. But I know what will happen.
    People will scream no more innocent blood spilled, which will happen
    regardless. And how can I label anyone innocent as they celebrate in the
    streets of the Gaza Strip? Even now, loyal patriotic citizens are insisting
    that we'd asked for this. That we are a godless nation who brought this on
    ourselves, that none are innocent as we elected government officials, that
    their actions are our fault.
    Sometimes, I become convinced that only the innocent die.
    I was busy lighting candles for a store window display. The match broke
    in my hand. Bending to pick up the broken piece, I saw them. Magneto.
    Doom. Wilson Fisk. Octavius. Juggernaut. Even I knew they had nothing to
    do with this. I was too smart for that. They were here for the same reason
    I was. I'd heard rumors about Magneto. But he was no longer an idealist.
    He knew better, if half the rumors were right. Octavius was no murderer.
    Twisted as he was, he was a man of science.
    I knew the truth about Fisk. I knew the rumors. But this was his city.
    He would not do this. Juggernaut, a powerhouse. I'd even heard about him
    tangling with Venom once. No, this isn't him, he would never do this. And
    Doom. A ruthless dictator, if you bought into the rumors. I'd heard others.
    The people under his rule led happy lives, no starvation, no poverty.
    Sometimes, I wonder. What makes these people out to be so bad? Their deeds,
    or the inflated egos of the heroes who fight them?
    The heroes. They were asked to explain why they had let this happen. They
    couldn't. They didn't know, how could they? True, there were always warning
    signs, somewhere, but how could the heroes take the blame? How could
    Spider-Man take the blame? This was not his fault. This was the responsibility
    of Bill Clinton and George Bush, the men who had dropped the ball, ignored
    the signs.
    Something bad was going down. Someone was hassling Doom. I got the basic
    idea of the shouts. The city may not need me now, but they needed this less.
    I stepped in. "Hey! Go shout your accusations to those celebrating this!" I
    shouted back. "Leave him alone, he didn't do this!" I shouted again. The
    little prick ran off. There was no excuse for him. Not now.
    "Thank you," Doom said to me. Magneto had witnessed the argument. Fisk,
    Juggernaut, and Octavius were busy with their own affairs. "Cletus Kasady.
    I know you. Come, I've been here long enough," Doom said. "I have, too.
    This will not undo this," Magneto added. I accepted their invitation.
    They were right, they had been here long enough. Stare at it all they
    could, it would never change this.
    I had only been here half an hour. It had been half an hour too long.
    We found a quiet place. A restaurant on the upper east side, fancy place,
    closed for the day. The owner let us in. He recognized us, but had no
    problem letting us in. Today, these two were not the enemy. And people
    knew it. We had been offered a free meal. We settled on coffee. Neither
    of us had an appetite, and alcohol was the last thing we needed.
    "You're carrying a gun," Magneto said. The pistol was a bit restless
    under my shirt. I'd brought it out of a gut reaction. "So am I, Magneto.
    We all came armed," Doom defended. "Yeah," I said. "I just grabbed it,
    I don't know why. I guess I didn't know what to expect." "Did any of us?"
    Doom said. He wasn't expecting an answer. We didn't answer.
    "Dammit, how much more?" I shouted. "How much more of this until people
    start trying? Hasn't this city had enough?" Magneto sighed. "I don't
    know. Perhaps they will someday. I know what type of madmen did this. I
    used to be one. How wrong I was... you can not bring peace with more war."
    Doom said, "I know very well who did this. Muslim terrorists. Osama bin
    Laden. They were fortunate. This was almost too easy. This was an amateur
    job which worked too well! And what will happen when the United States
    falls? Who will they go after? _MY PEOPLE_? This was not an attack
    on the United States, this was an attack on all of us. This is
    inexcusable! My country... I will hunt them. They set foot in my country,
    it will be a mistake. I may even hunt them outside my borders, this will
    not go unpunished. I had countrymen in those towers! They had families,
    friends, where does it end?
    "Yet, how can we justify more senseless killing? How can I stop this
    without doing what they have done? How can we fight this?" Doom asked.
    Magneto replied, "I don't know. Humans operate on a basic level. This
    was not the mutants' fault. These were humans, killing humans, mutants,
    who knows? They kill us, they kill each other. Mister Kasady... please,
    offer us an insight." "Yes. Please do. We know better than to believe
    the lies of the newspapers. You were Carnage, you must know something
    we don't," Doom replied.
    "I don't know if I can," I said. "Carnage killed, he enjoyed it. It was
    the act, not the result. Their mind sees what they do as right. They
    ignore the rules, the laws, morality, other people, and do as they please.
    They devalue life. These were madmen. And when they run out of others,
    watch them. They'll turn on each other. Just read a history book. They
    justify this as the will of God, it's a classic excuse! More dead in His
    name. More dead in the name of peace, tolerance, and love. The day people
    practice as they preach, I will step into a church. As long as these
    psychos use Jesus to justify murder, I'll have nothing to do with them.
    "There _IS **NO** JUSTIFICATION!_ There never is, and there never
    was! The ones who want peace die at the hands of those who don't. Humans,
    mutants, especially mutants. I'm beginning to think you were right,
    Magneto. Mutants could create a perfect society. Humans need too much
    work..."
    I shut up. I had nothing else to say. I'd sit and repeat myself
    otherwise. "There is someone I must meet with. If you will excuse me..."
    Magneto said, leaving. I remained with Doom. "I get the impression that
    the Fantastic Four have lied about you," I said. "You are as intelligent
    as I thought," he replied. "I may need help hunting these terrorists. I
    am also aware of your immortality. But I decided to say nothing in front
    of Magneto about it. I would like to offer you a position under my command
    as a General. You will be greatly rewarded if you join me."
    "I don't know," I said. "I'm burned out. I've been to that other realm.
    Sub-Nizzuran. It doesn't compare to what I saw today. If I hang on to
    this too long, I'll go insane."
    "I understand. I will keep the offer open, should you decide to join me.
    Let me know," he said.
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	14. Back In Business


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 13: Back in Business
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Saturday, April 13th, 2002. 3:26 PM
    It has been well over a year since Maximum Carnage saved the world. And in
    the short span they worked, they saved it from two beings. The first was a
    man. He had tried to become immortal. But he failed. The second was a being
    called Carnage. The symbiote, which had once inhabited Cletus Kasady's body,
    had been bonded with a demonic entity. Maximum Carnage retired shortly after.
    The stress had gotten to them.
    Things had changed. Taking the rest of their money and leaving New York
    behind, they traveled south to the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. They
    had a special interest in going there. The remains of Carnage were stored in
    a special facility. But reasons can be many. Today, we see the result of
    several of those reasons.
    Jack Arden piloted the small riding lawnmower over the yard. It was rather
    hot today. Too hot to be doing this. But it was his job. He and Cletus had
    set up business on the outskirts of the city, mowing lawns for money. It was
    okay money. Enough to get by. They didn't need much food, really. They were
    immortal. They only needed enough to stay healthy. But most had to be saved
    for the winter when their business had to close down due to weather.
    But Jack had also enjoyed the irony. No matter how some people complained
    about the current situations, they had no idea how good things were. They
    didn't know they almost became the victims of a demon, who, if not for a
    simple weakness, would have done the damage he had planned. But those days
    were gone. Not even Osama bin Laden could compare to what could have happened.
    3:37 PM, "Lawn Cutters", home of Jack and Cletus
    Jack walked in the door. He slapped a few bills down on the table in front
    of Cletus. "Fifteen dollars! Enter it in the books." Cletus set down his can
    of soda and walked over to the desk. Picking up their records book, he
    entered the date and amount paid. "Listen, Jack. We're not making near the
    amount we used to. Inflation's gone up, and our rates haven't. I don't want
    spend all winter hoping we have heat!"
    "Oh, all right. I'll work it out later. But current rates for seniors
    stay!", he insisted. Cletus let out a sigh. Jack wanted to keep prices
    low, he wanted food. He had grown sick of arguing about it. He honestly
    hated this job, but knew it was better than his past life as Carnage. But
    this would have to wait. The phone was ringing. Cletus answered.
    "Hello? ... yes, that's right... just a minute... Jack, it's Fort McNair...
    yes, that's right. Seven dollars an hour. But don't you have people to do
    this?... well, all right. Hang on. Jack, get the truck ready... wait... don't
    bring equipment? All right... bye." "What was that all about?", Jack asked.
    "I don't know. Fort McNair wants us over there, immediately. They said not
    to take any equipment. Sounds a bit odd to me."
    "Eh... let's check it out", Jack suggested. "We'll take the car"
    4:24 PM, Fort McNair
    The Corporal led both men through the grounds. Jack looked around, impressed
    by this place. Cletus was too concerned with why they were here to admire the
    buildings. As they marched onward, the corporal stopped in front of a General.
    "Jack, Cletus. Nice to see you two", the man greeted. Jack stopped. "Hey... I
    know you... you're that General from last year!" "Oh, no. Jack, I knew this
    wasn't going to be good!", Cletus groaned.
    The General pulled off his sunglasses. "Gentleman... you said if I ever needed
    you, to call you. Well, something has come up. Corporal!" The young man fired
    back an immediate, "Yes, sir!"
    "Get my car ready for our guests." The Corporal left to fill the general's
    order. "Now, gentleman. As soon as our ride is here, I'll fill you in."
    4:31 PM
    Both men were sitting in a limousine, opposite the general. They had no
    idea where the car was headed.
    "Now, I imagine you need some things cleared up first", he stated. "My name
    is General Robert Peterson, US Armed Forces. And, in addition to my normal
    duties, I've also helped you since the beginning. One of the guards at Jacobs
    Research Labs was an agent. We were preparing to move in and shut him down
    when you were brought in, Cletus. At that point, we backed off. We knew it
    would be a matter of time for you to take him out, especially with the explosives
    we planted in the storage room."
    Jack was busy resting. Cletus looked up. "So... the government was setting
    him up. But what if I'd failed?"
    "Simple, Cletus. If you hadn't switched the drug on him, we would have
    destroyed the building ourselves before he got the injection. We were all
    over the grounds that night. We managed to get some nice footage of the building
    falling over as well. Real nice stuff.... anyway, we also kept the police off
    your backs. Don't you find it odd you were able to speed into Manhattan at
    ninety miles an hour without a single siren?"
    "But....why would the army even do this?", he asked. "Army? I said
    nothing about it being an Army affair..."
    The car stopped. "We're here, gentleman!" All three men stepped out of the car.
    They were in an underground parking garage. "Follow me, gentleman" The two
    followed the general to an elevator. Sliding his key card through the access
    lock, the door opened. Stepping inside, the general pressed a button. The elevator
    moved. "Now, all will be explained very shortly." The elevator stopped, the doors
    opening to reveal a large room. Inside, men in black suits walked around, manned
    computers, and carried on various activities. "Gentleman.....welcome to the
    Nation Security Agency. Washington DC offices"
    Jack stepped out into the room. "NSA? But... why would the army
    and the NSA work together like this?", he inquired.
    "Now, Jack, I never said we were working together. Truth is, I'm an Army General,
    and one of the lead members of this organization. In fact, all command decisions
    are ultimately mine!", he stated, rather pleased. "That means... Jack, this guy
    RUNS the NSA!"
    "Now you're catching on! Follow me. I have something to explain." The two
    followed the general down a long hall. As they walked by, men stopped dead in
    their tracks to salute the man. Cletus was very uneasy. Jack was thrilled to be
    this close to adventure again. They entered a room at the end. Inside, more men
    in black suits. The General sat behind the large desk. Jack was too busy staring
    at the soft, dark green walls to notice Cletus's disapproving look.
    "Gentleman... have a seat. Now, the matter at hand. A small town in Arkansas has
    had some mysterious murders lately. All African Americans. We believe the Ku Klux
    Klan may be involved, but we have no solid proof. In fact, we can't get any. The
    problem was made worse when one of our agents was killed in these hate crimes. We
    need you to go down there and stop them." Cletus stood up so fast, he nearly
    tipped his chair over. "Whoa! Hold it one second! We didn't mean _get us to do
    something you can do yourselves_!"
    "That's the problem. We can't!", he screamed back. "If we went in now and interfered,
    we'd be breaking numerous laws! Plus it would jeopardize everything we do! Lesser
    groups would investigate. The public would find out what really goes on here. Besides,
    we aren't a Gestapo force, despite what some think! But... people do not deserve to
    die like this... for these reasons. Believe me, if I could go myself, I WOULD! But
    it would throw away the protection of every citizen in this country. However, private
    citizens would have no trouble investigating."
    "I get it. Jack, he wants us to go in and do it ourselves. Avoid any involvement.
    Let US break the laws, Sorry General, but-" Jack had pushed Cletus back down. "Ignore
    him for a second. I may be willing... but why should we?"
    "Well, we didn't intend to ask you to do this for free, of course. We will
    supply transportation, weaponry, money, and other supplies. And after the job
    is done.....$25,000 each, tax free." Jack looked over at Cletus. "Clete, I know
    you hate mowing lawns. I hate it too. It's meaningless work! I'm doing this,
    whether or not you go along", he stated, rather buntly. Cletus looked around,
    from Jack, to the General, and back.
    "All right. But we're doing this as we see fit! And you'd better have men set
    up in the area in case something goes wrong!"
    "Hey, no problem. You didn't think I was going to send you in alone, did you?
    Now, do you need anything before we get you ready?", the General asked.
    5:45 PM, Jack and Cletus's home
    Jack pulled the old black coat out from under his bed. It hadn't been worn
    since they got back from Alt-World. It was a little dusty, but still clean from
    where he had hand-washed it. Checking the pockets, he slipped it on. It was
    still too big. He hadn't aged a day, physically, since being injected. He
    clipped on the shotgun belt and slid the weapon into the long leather ring on
    his left hip. He'd thought about taking Carnage's sword with him, but he saw
    no need. It would be useless, and the less those artifacts saw the light of
    day, the better. He'd thought about destroying them, but thought they might
    come in useful some day.
    He made his way through the living room and out the front door. Cletus was
    waiting by the limo. Both men stepped in. General Peterson walked over to a
    nearby Jeep, where two privates sat. "Now, guard that house. Make sure no one
    enters until they get back", he ordered. The immediately shouted back with,
    "Yes, SIR!"
    The general walked back to the car. He wished the soldiers wouldn't act so
    strict towards him. But they were just army privates. They didn't know what
    he did, and he figured it was better that way.
    7:02 PM, NSA facilities, unknown location
    Jack walked through the large supply room. He had thrown his shoes away in
    favor of a pair of thick, black boots. They went better with his getup. He had
    also slipped on a pair of thin, imitation leather gloves, perfect for firing a
    gun. He had slipped several pistols in the large pockets. Clipping ammo belts
    filled with pistol and shotgun ammo around his chest, he remembered the small
    inner coat pocket. He had once carried the immortality drug in this pocket. But
    he had put that up long ago.
    He and Cletus had made a promise. It was to stay up. It was only to be used in
    one of two conditions- if a man important to the future was going to be killed,
    or if either fell in love with a woman. Otherwise, it remained locked away.
    Personally, Jack saw the first choice as having a better chance. He had been
    buying up Triazomine off the streets without letting Cletus know. $1000 a bottle!
    But it kept his mind off girls and on more important matters. Cletus simply
    avoided women because of his past.
    "Heads up!"
    Jack looked over and caught something as it flew towards him. Cletus asked,
    "Recognize that?" Jack knew what it was. It was one of the small black explosives
    they has leveled a lab with. "They let us have a few more in case. Anyway..."
    Jack looked him over. Three pistols, a grenade torso belt, and a knife strapped
    to his left shin. "Nice," Jack commented, "now, all we need is a nuclear weapon,
    and we can star in a _TV Funhouse_ sketch!" Jack spun around as General
    Peterson walked into the room, followed by two soldiers.
    "All right. If you're ready, we are. You'll be flown in to the area, just outside
    of town. A Jeep will take you to where you need to go. Once there, you'll have a
    small building to leave supplies in. After that, sleeping quarters, food, and
    anything else you need will be your responsibility. You will each be given a
    thousand dollars to handle light expenses." Jack looked at Cletus, the amount of
    weaponry almost causing him to burst into laughter. "Oh, I think we're ready!"
    10:34 PM, Hicksburg, Arkansas
    They had just entered the town minutes ago. Their supplies were stored in a
    building on the edge of town- it looked like an old, abandoned ice cream stand,
    but was actually a storage building used by the NSA for occasions like this. Cletus
    kept one of his pistols, Jack kept his shotgun and a few spare shells, plus a
    couple of hidden pistols.
    They decided to check out the local situation. They figured the local bar would be
    the best place to begin. They walked in. The place was filthy. Country music played
    faintly in the background, and the only one here who looked to have bathed was the
    sheriff, who sat at the bar, sipping what appeared to be a glass of water. Jack was
    glad his coat's length hid his shotgun. Both men sat at the bar.
    The door opened again, a single man walking in and sitting down at one of the booths.
    Jack kept an eye on him. One look, and he knew to expect something. The man was black.
    And something did happen. Immediately, the crowd at another booth stood and walked over.
    Five men, Jack saw. All fat hillbillies. "I thought I told you... your kind isn't
    welcome here..." The man simply ignored the comment.
    "I told you once.... now, either you get out of here-" "HEY! Leave him alone!"
    Jack had stood from his stool. He didn't see any need for this hazing to continue.
    Besides, he had been hired to interfere. "Or what, fancy boy?" Jack reached into
    his coat for the shotgun. Before he could pull it, he heard a gun being cocked. He
    looked up. The bartender had pulled a rifle, saying, "My friends aren't causing any
    trouble. You are. Now, I will ask you to leave"
    Jack looked over at Cletus. Both men started chuckling at the threat. They were
    daring this man to fire. He did. The bullet hit Jack in the stomach. Reaching
    down to feel the wound, he reached under his coat. The bullet fell out and hit
    the floor, rolling along the inside of the coat. The bullet had gone through,
    thankfully. Jack had a nasty look on his face. Without looking up, he pulled his
    hand out of the coat. He had drawn a pistol in the process. Without aiming, he
    raised the gun and fired. The bullet split the bartender's head. The rest of the
    crowd looked on in horror. "SHERIFF! You saw that! DO SOMETHIN'," one of the
    hicks screamed.
    The man looked up from the bar. "Yeah, I saw it. Self defense. Nothing I
    can do." Jack spun around, gun facing the group. "Now... get out of here."
    The crowd hesitated for a second, finally bolting out the door when Jack
    began to squeeze the trigger. He fired into the wall anyway, just so they
    would know that he was serious. The sheriff stood. He was just shy of being
    six foot tall, his sand colored hair barely reaching his ears. He was
    slightly balding on the top. Jack guessed his age to be late forties. "I
    suppose I should call the coroner. Anyway, whoever you are, thanks. I've had
    trouble with that group for quite some time. You see, I can't do anything. If
    I try anything, they said they'd kill my family"
    "Listen... don't worry about it," Jack replied. "We're just a few concerned
    citizens. My partner over at the bar is the quiet one, I'm the guy with the
    gun. Anyway, what IS going on?" "Well... didn't catch the name" he said. "Jack.
    That's Cletus at the bar."
    "Well, Jack. Klan members. They've been working on cleaning out this area.
    Some sort of purification. And they got me cornered. All I can do is try to
    keep them quiet as much as I can. Speaking of which... what about that wound?
    It looks pretty bad. how are you even standin' the pain?"
    "Uhh... it's an ancient Chinese meditation ritual. I can feel no pain if I
    concentrate hard enough. Anyway, I didn't get your name either." "Paul Jacobs.
    Sheriff here for fifteen years. Anyway, I'd like to invite you to my home for
    dinner. I imagine you're hungry." Jack put his pistol back in the coat pocket.
    "All right," he replied.
    10:46 PM, Sheriff Jacobs's house
    Jack removed his coat and weaponry. Cletus also removed his weapons. The
    sheriff led them into the kitchen and sat them at the table. He called out
    to his wife to bring the food in. She entered the room, and both men saw why
    the sheriff was so afraid to fight back. "I guess you can see why I can't do
    anything. I had to put up with the disapproval, but I don't care. I loved her,
    she loved me. And I can't put her life on the line."
    "Jack, we can't let them get caught up in the crossfire," Cletus said. Jack
    swallowed the roll he had been chewing on. "I agree. Listen, you may want to
    clear out of town. Get yourselves out of danger. There will be gunplay... and
    we don't play nice. And I especially hate white supremacists!"
    "I'd like to, but we have nowhere to go. Besides, this town needs a sheriff,"
    Jacobs replied, disappointed. Jack stood from the small wooden seat. "I think,"
    he said, "I can make special arrangements. Can I use your phone?" "In the other
    room," she told him. Jack walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.
    Picking up the phone, he pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket and
    dialed the number on it.
    10:49 PM, Little Rock NSA facility, location unknown
    The phone rang in General Peterson's office. He picked it up. "Jack," he
    answered, "so what did you find out?... I see... right... well, I can easily
    make arrangements... right, sheriff, wife, and kid... no problem... I'll have
    them to safety by tomorrow morning, and they won't know who supplied
    accommodations... yes... the Krylakk? Yes, we do still have it... it is alive...
    that's an odd request, but if you need it... yes, tomorrow morning. All right...
    all right. I'll begin immediately. Good bye!" The General set the receiver down.
    He turned to one of the agents in the room. "I want a hotel reservation in DC
    for a family of three. A nice hotel. Plane reservations too. And prepare the
    captured Krylakk for transport."
    10:51 PM
    Jack walked back into the small kitchen. Cletus was sucking down a cup of
    coffee. "All right. I've made the necessary arrangements to get you and your
    family to a safe area. You'll be put up in a nice hotel while we clean up. And
    don't worry about keeping an eye on the town. I think we can handle it," Jack
    assured him. "Well, I won't ask how you did it. It might be best for me not to
    know. Anyway, we-"
    The sheriff's speech was cut short as one of the kitchen windows shattered.
    Jack looked at the opposite wall to see a single, fresh hole. "Okay, everyone
    in the other room," Jack ordered. "Sheriff, get upstairs and watch your kid.
    Cletus, get your guns and move on my signal. I've got an idea..."
    Jacobs and his wife moved up the stairs. Cletus loaded his pistols and stood
    beside the door. Jack slipped on his coat, and pulled his weapons from the closet.
    Slipping the shotgun in his belt, he slowly moved to the door. Opening it slowly,
    he stepped out. Three trucks could be seen. As he stepped off the porch,
    headlights nearly blinded him. Jack loved forward, his right arm dangling, his
    left hand holding onto the edge of his coat.
    "Hold it," a voice shouted. "You picked the wrong people to mess with, sonny!
    Now, if you come without a fuss, we might let you live." Jack asked, "What
    about the sheriff and his family?"
    "Oh, you saw his wife. After we take care of you, we're gettin' them! Now,
    how about it? Your own ass worth it?" Jack didn't move. He thought the offer
    was laughable. Besides, they'd called him _"sonny"_. "Well, if that's
    the deal..."
    Jack rose his right fist and flipped out his middle finger. Irritated at the
    answer, one of the dumber looking hillbillies raised a rifle. As he fired, Jack
    raised his coat, stopping the bullet cold before it could hit him. He'd already
    played that game. Before they could take another shot, Jack pulled his shotgun,
    and with the gun already pumped, fired a quick burst, striking one of his
    attackers in the chest. He moved faster than they could have guessed, dropping
    three more. "CLETUS! NOW! THE KNEES!", he screamed.
    Cletus ran out the front door, and before the final man could react, he dropped
    to the ground as his knees were blown out from under him, pistol fire courtesy
    of one Cletus Kasady. Jack walked up to him and picked him up by his shirt collar.
    "Okay, inbred! TALK!"
    "What... I don't... think so..." Jack dropped the man, his knees hitting the
    dirt, hard. He let out a loud scream. Jack grabbed him again and planted the
    end of his shotgun barrel under the man's chin. "Now I'm mad... Cletus, make
    sure he stays still," he said. Cletus pointed his gun down. Jack holstered the
    gun, and reached into the long, thin pocket. He had seen fit to use it for drugs
    again. He pulled out a small bottle, a needle, and a syringe. He assembled the
    needle and filled it with the liquid. "Sodium Penathol. I thought it might come
    in useful!"
    He jabbed the needle in the hick's arm ad pumped the drugs in. Within seconds,
    the man had calmed down. "Now, again. Who are you working for, and where can I
    find them?", he asked, impatiently. "Uhh... Klan... bowling alley in town, back
    room... meeting place..." Jack placed the bottle back in his inner pocket. He
    pulled a pistol and fired into the man's chest. After the shot's echo cleared,
    he heard a new sound in the air. Another truck. It was hidden in the shadows,
    no lights. Jack fired a few rounds as it pulled out and sped down the road.
    "DAMMIT! Cletus, come on. We can't do anything now. They'll come back if we
    leave. Tomorrow, we'll make our move," he shouted through his teeth.
    Sunday, April 14th. 9:37 AM
    A limo sat outside the sheriff's country home. By all outward appearances, the
    driver was just a chauffer, but Jack had recognized him from the NSA facility in
    Washington. He knew they would be safe. "Listen, I want to thank you for helping
    my husband. We thought there was no hope left. But now, I have faith all will
    return to the way it used to be. It was so peaceful until they moved in here"
    Cletus was over by the car. Jack tugged on his gloves.
    "Don't worry about it. We had nothing better to do. By the way, I never caught
    the name," he said. "Oh, right. Michelle. And my son... Brian! Get over here
    and thank these men for helping us." The boy ran over to his mother. He was only
    about six. "Hi! Thanks for helping my mommy and daddy!" Jack bent down. "Don't
    worry about it. And you take care of yourself. And I will make this town safe
    for you to grow up in, and safe for everyone. These people won't bother you
    anymore."
    The young boy headed for the limo. "Trust me, the only way I plan on breaking
    that promise is if I die. And I have plans on living a long time," Jack said.
    Cletus joined him, saying, "You done?" "Shut up, Clete! I thought you were
    talking to the driver," he shouted. "I was. They're going to a hotel in D.C.
    for a few days. At least until we finish up."Jack was about to reply, but stopped
    when he saw Sheriff Jacobs walk out onto the porch. "Thank you for what you're
    doing. I know this is costing a lot, and I will repay you for every cent!"
    "Forget it. We... well, I think Cletus can give up his wine collection for a
    while!" Cletus nearly lost it. He calmed down after he realized that it wouldn't
    do any good to complain. "Well, anyway," Jacobs said, "raise your right hands,
    please. Okay, good. Now, do you promise to uphold the laws, and conduct
    yourselves in a proper manner?" Both men shook their heads in agreement. "Good.
    Here are your badges. You're now deputized. Take care of my town," he said,
    walking to the car. Closing the doors, the agent entered the front and closed
    his own door. The car drove off. Minutes later, two military Jeeps came down
    the road. Both men walked over. It was a special package they had been waiting
    for.
    "This the creature?"
    "Yes, sir! Alive and hungry," they replied. Jack inspected the case in the
    back. It was clear, big enough for the creature. He hadn't seen one of these
    in a long time. It was as ugly as he had remembered, but he admired it's form.
    It was an evolutionary mistake, evolving from... who knew. It had no eyes, but
    had no trouble getting around. Cletus stepped around to see what it was.
    Spotting it, he almost went insane, all over again. "Jack... WHAT THE HELL?"
    "Hey, I thought it could come in useful. These things operate in two modes-
    hunt and eat. They're stupid, too. Just let it loose. Besides, the only other
    choice was Carnage, and he doesn't get to come out and play!" Cletus let out a
    weak sigh. He knew Jack was right. Besides, if it got out of control, they could
    just shoot it. One of the privates handed Jack several keys.
    "These are to the locks on the case. That's triple-thick lexan, so it can't
    get out. Believe me, its tried. Now, we have orders to take the empty Jeep
    ourselves. You get the other Jeep. That creature weighs fifty-two pounds, the
    box weighs about thirty," he explained. "All right," Jak replied. "That will
    about do it. You can go now... you're relieved, or whatever they say. We can
    take it from here." The two privates climbed into the second Jeep and drove off.
    "Jack, it might not hurt to get those few supplies we stored away," Cletus
    told him. "That's what I was thinking. A Krylakk can do some damage, but not
    enough."
    10:12 AM, outer edge of town
    Jack saw what was going on. Several Klan members, all in white sheets,
    gathered in the center of the street. They had a hostage. He estimated
    roughly fifty men in white sheets. "Okay... take the Jeep around and get
    behind them. Plant some of those remotes on a few nearby vehicles. I'll
    distract them. Set the bombs off, then release the Krylakk into the crowd.
    I want to do this without killing any innocent people. All right... go,"
    Jack ordered. Cletus sighed, shouting, "But I don't know how to drive a
    Jeep!" It was too late, Jack wasn't listening.
    Cletus started the engine, which was fairly quiet for a Jeep. It must have
    been tuned recently and fit with a better muffler. Either way, it worked
    to their advantage. Seeing that his partner was far enough away, he stepped
    out from the woods and into the edge of the town. "Look here! It's one of
    them! One of the unbelievers in purity! Tell me, why waste your efforts on
    these sub-humans?"
    "Well, shithead! Frankly, your argument is bullshit, that's why! And
    before you fire off some justification, I've heard far greater hate arguments!
    From a DEMON, no less. And I kicked his ass. Not to mention what the mutants
    would do to you if they ever had the opportunity! You hav eno idea what'
    sout there, mister _top of the freaking food chain!_" Jack hoped they bought
    the insults, or at least grew angry. Sure, they were no Screelaks, but then
    again, Screelaks didn't carry guns.
    Cletus was busy planting bombs on the nearby cars. These bombs were
    slightly upgraded from the model they once used. They now had an automatic
    detonation feature, as well as the time. Cletus flipped the switch for
    that setting on each one as he planted them. The read the instructions.
    Those set to do so would go off when he pressed the remote button. He
    placed the final one. Running back around the corner, behind the building,
    and up the alley to the jeep, he pressed the button.
    Jack watched the panic as the cars behind them went up. Each was reduced
    to scrap as the flames flared out in large clouds. In the confusion, Jack
    ran up to the gathering, grabbed the hostage, and ran off. He took a few
    bullets to the back, the synthetic coat blocking the shots. He sat the
    man down, shouting, "Stay here!"
    Cletus turned the final key to the storage box. Opening the end, he
    pounded on the back of the box. The creature moved forward, falling
    from the Jeep. It sensed the nearby crowd. It made its way out of the
    alley, and waddling up to a leg, opened wide and bit down. A loud scream
    could be heard as the man was drug down, his leg chewed off and swallowed.
    Others looked around in panic- explosions, a strange animal eating a man's
    leg... pure chaos. Cletus took the chance to fire several rounds into the
    crowd. His targets dropped as they were hit.
    Jack ran out, firing pistol shots as he did so. He hoped to take out as
    many as possible while the Krylakk fed. He blocked bullets with his coat,
    taking occasional pot shots. He dropped suddenly as something crushed the
    back of his head, ending his shooting spree. He stumbled around on the
    road, looking up to see a Klansman with no hood. "So... you challenge my
    cause, kill my followers," he shouted, "over some personal desire? You
    should have tried better, little man!"
    Jack received more blows as he was hit by the butt end of a rifle. He was
    almost unconscious. His wounds would heal, but for now, he was injured
    pretty bad. The man raised his rifle, ready to fire. But he didn't get the
    chance. He felt his left calf being torn into. He looked down to see the
    Krylakk. He screamed as he was pulled to the ground. Jack, realizing what
    was going on, pulled his shotgun. The Klan leader didn't need to worry
    about his pain anymore. Jack squeezed the trigger, ending his suffering.
    He stood to see the final results. Few Klansmen stood, and they had dropped
    their weapons. They had given up. Jack walked over to the hostage. He pulled
    out a small knife and cut the ropes holding the man down. After receiving
    several _thank you_'s, Jack walked back to the Krylakk. It had fallen asleep.
    He said, "Hey, Cletus! While this thing's passed out, let's get it back in
    the box!"
    12:32 PM, center of town
    General Peterson had started cleanup. Bodies were to be hauled off, the
    place to be put back in order. There had been no witnesses, outside the
    hostage. The buildings nearby were empty, as was a good portion of the town.
    Buildingsowned by the murder victims had been used by the Klan. And the
    town residents left hadn't seen anything. He walked over to the heroes. "That
    was a great job! You did a better job than I'd hoped. My faith in you was
    well placed," he said. "Thanks. Now... I guess we go back home," Jack replied.
    "Speaking of that. Before you return home, I want you to hear me out. What
    you went through today is just a tip of the iceberg. Things like this happen
    all the time, and the law can't do anything. Even if we eventually can,
    people die before we can interfere! No matter how high we are, even with the
    activities the public has no knowledge of, we still have no power in some
    matters. That is why I'm making a simple proposal. Work for us. It will be
    official work, but you won't be listed as government employees. You will still
    be listed as private citizens. But you can help so many people!" Both men
    looked at each other. "Well... sounds good. Cletus?"
    He simply said, "What the hell?" "Okay, General... what do we get out of
    this?"
    "Simple. A home, free food, clothing, supplies, transportation, and
    anything else you want. And a substantial bank account. Plus immunity from
    prosecution from actions done while working a job, and a few other minor
    details. But... you will have to move. Arizona is a good place. You'd be
    closer to the real stuff, and have privacy," he explained.
    "Arizona, huh? Why not? Nice and warm out there," Cletus stated. "But what
    about our stuff? The lawn care business?"
    "Yes, I thought you would ask. We know about the immortality drug. I know
    it was used on the both of you, and by all rights, you are indestructible.
    Besides, anyone who can survive Sub-Nizzuran has to be good for the job,"
    General Peterson answered. "Sub-," Jack began, "Cletus, how does he know
    about that?"
    "We located the sanctuary under Manhattan. We examined the books and
    learned what had really happened. Yes, Domientius, all of it. And
    personally, I think anyone who can fight against that can take on anything.
    Besides, you'd be doing humanity a big favor! Mortal men can't do stuff
    like this. We need you two. Besides, President Bush has approved the deal.
    The decision was mine, and his. The money is ready, as are the accommodations.
    It would be a shame for them to go to waste."
    Jack looked over. Cletus nodded. Jack removed his gloves and stuck them
    in one of his pockets. Her stuck out his right hand. The general took it.
    "You have a deal!"
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	15. The Things Men Do For Money


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 14: The Things Men do for Money
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Tuesday, April 16th, 2002. 11:27 AM
    Jack sat in one of the chairs in this room. General Peterson sat beside
    him. The secret service agents stood beside the desk and by the doors.
    Behind the desk sat one of the country's most powerful men- President George
    W. Bush. This was a special occasion. A meeting with the head man so the
    General could discuss the final plans. Cletus wanted to tour the city, so
    Jack was left to do all the talking for his team. A team known as Maximum
    Carnage.
    "Well, I can't say I approve of the way the matter had to be resolved,
    because I don't. If it had been my decision, we would have waited and done
    this matter as peacefully as possible. But General Peterson and I looked
    at all the options as closely as possible, and if any innocent people were
    to live, then we both concluded it had to be done that way. Besides, we
    have too many issues worldwide to worry about," the president explained.
    "Yes, Mr. President. Anyway, tomorrow I will have them settled in to their
    base in the Arizona desert. The restored farm house."
    Jack looked across the desk. "I would have voted for you, if I had been
    legally alive. I can't vote, or so much of anything with that on my record.
    Death makes many things a lot harder," he said. The General opened his
    briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers. "Jack, about that. I've decided
    to review your records on the matter. And I agree, death would be an
    inconvenience. Have a look at these papers."
    Jack took them. Thumbing through, he saw a high school diploma, college
    degree, driver's license, birth certificate, social security card, and many
    other papers. "I've had you reinstated as living. Your status as 'dead' was
    placed incorrectly, as there was no body found. It would have happened after
    seven years of being missing, but I've made sure the detectives who inspected
    the remains of the house... well, they won't make the same mistake again,"
    he explained.
    The General produced something else from his briefcase and handed it to
    the young man. "A wallet," he said. "You'll need it now. Mr. President, I
    have a few papers I have to review and sign. I'll leave you two to talk."
    The General stood and left the room.
    Wednesday, April 20th. 2:14 PM
    Cletus sat on the couch in the living room. It was a big house, two floors.
    White walls, big living room, kitchen, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, garage,
    and a few other rooms. It was a big house. Jack had already claimed his
    bedroom. He got the master bedroom, despite the fact he has the least stuff.
    Cletus got one of the smaller rooms. He flipped through the channels on the
    television. They had a DSS dish with loads of channels. And they weren't paying
    a cent for this place. But there was one catch- the nearest town was 35 miles
    away. They were stuck in the Northwest corner of the state, in the Mohave
    desert. Aside from this house and road to it, which weren't on the maps, there
    was nothing.
    Jack walked down the steps. He was dressed in his usual black pants, with his
    favorite Alice Cooper shirt on. "I wouldn't get too settled in here, Cletus.
    The general is..." He looked out the window to see several vehicles driving
    up. "...HERE! **TURN THAT OFF!**" Cletus fumbled with the remote as Jack tossed
    the potato chip bags into the garbage. He brushed the crumbs off the couch
    and into a garbage can just before the door opened. They stood at attention.
    "Please, there's no need to do that. You're not soldiers under my command.
    Just continue what you were doing," he greeted. Cletus jumped back onto the
    couch and turned the TV back on. Jack let out a sigh. The general walked through
    the room. "So... enjoying your new home? Oh, yes, I have something for you,
    Cletus." He handed over a large envelope. Opening it, Cletus couldn't believe
    it. Papers galore, with a strange name on them. Pulling the driver's license,
    he saw his own picture. But it wasn't his name. "Wha... wha... but," Cletus
    stuttered.
    "A new identity. It won't officially check out, but it should be useful,"
    he explained. He handed another envelope to Jack. "That is your mission.
    Between the towns of Cape Springs and Simmons is a small town unmarked on
    the usual maps. The town has no name, as it is a phony town. We believe the
    town is used as a front for a black market baby selling operation. We can't
    investigate. Since the town doesn't officially exist, we can't obtain search
    warrants. Due to that little catch in the law, we'll have to rely on you."
    Jack was handed another envelope by one of the privates. Opening it, he
    handed the contents to Cletus.
    "That is the man behind this. Keegan Voorhees. He's wanted for murder, rape,
    theft, embezzlement, and hundreds of other crimes. He's known to wear a bullet
    proof vest as well." Cletus looked at the photo. Ugly man. One eye, the missing
    eye covered by an eye patch. Long black hair, uncombed. His records placed him
    at being thirty-five.
    "This mission is the reason I decided to hire you in this manner. We had two
    top agents disappear in this town," he said. "I understand completely. Cletus,
    get your pistols," Jack ordered. "No, we'll do this right. Jack, Cletus, be
    ready to leave in one hour. You will be taken to a small military warehouse
    on the edge of Lake Mead Recreational grounds. You will then be taken south.
    The papers explain the rest."
    5:03 PM
    Jack had just arrived in town in a limousine. His cover story. Cletus would
    be in soon, coming in on foot from two miles outside of this false town.
    Jack surveyed this place. It looked old. The town had been assembled around
    both sides of the road that massed through, tapping into water, gas, and
    power lines. To someone passing through, just a small town.
    He entered the small hotel, as his orders said to. He signed the register
    and paid in cash. Room 202, top floor. Entering the room, he sat his suitcase
    down on the bed. He had no clothes in the case, just equipment. Guns,
    ammunition, papers....the usual. His shotgun was cradled under his coat,
    stuffed into his holster belt. The rest of his belongings were safe at his
    new home- the pendant, the book, the sword, and the drug- all taken with him
    on the long flight across the country. He remembered how the soldiers and
    agents had been given instructions not to touch a thing. The general knew the
    importance of what these items could be used for, and wanted them undisturbed.
    Minutes later, a signal came over a small radio in his suitcase. It was Cletus,
    calling from his hotel room. "So, what now, Jack?"
    "Orders are for us to scout the town," Jack repleid. "Find the missing
    children, find Voorhees, and kill him. Kill his men as well. Afterwards, we
    call the General and get agents in here to return the kids to safety." "That's
    all? This shouldn't take too long," Cletus commented. "Just remember... I don't
    want one child injured." "Yeah, yeah... when do we move?"
    "Tonight, Cletus. Meanwhile, keep playing dumb with these people!"
    11:24 PM
    Jack moved around in the darkness, peering in the windows. He found them.
    Cribs, carriages, beds, full of missing children, ranging from newborns to as
    old as two, he guessed. Jack almost threw up at the thought. This Voorhees guy
    was treating them like perishable goods. He had no concern for the lives he
    had ruined this way, the heartbreak he had caused. He was selling these children.
    To who, Jack could only guess. Couples who didn't want the hassle of adoption,
    at least, would be the best choice. The thought of experimental purposes almost
    set him off in a rampage on the spot. "Hey... Jack."
    Cletus had found a door in the desert floor, near one of the buildings.
    Jack crept over. Seeing no one around, they opened it. No one was below
    them. They entered. Tunnels ran under the makeshift town. The two men snuck
    along the edges, eyeing the area. Wooden beams held the dirt up, while
    crates and barrels lined the walls. A few men in torn clothes walked past.
    They had machine guns. "Follow them," Jack whispered.
    They crept along at a safe distance, ducking behind whatever they could.
    Finally, they reached a small room. A desk sat at the far end. Behind sat
    Keegan Voorhees. "Okay... situation?" "Well, Keegan, we have three couples
    coming through tomorrow, with cash. A few scientists, and that... cannibal,"
    he replied, shuddering. "Excellent. What about those two strangers in town?"
    "Uhh," he said, "they're not in their rooms." Keegan paused, finally
    saying, "Hmm... find them. They may be bleeding hearts, like those last
    two..." Jack turned to face Cletus. He kept his whispering to a minimum.
    "We have to hit now. Go up and make sure the town is clean. If not, clean
    it. Radio me when you move the kids to safety. I'll wait here," Jack said.
    Cletus snuck off. It was their usual plan. One cleans out, the other
    cleans up. Jack waited, and watched. Keegan ate a sandwich. How he could
    be so disgusting while eating a sandwich, Jack would never know. For that
    matter, how this guy could LOOK so disgusting was a puzzle in itself.
    Possibly an explosion victim, but it didn't explain his clothes. Dollar
    store, maybe. Granted, Jack's Alice Cooper shirt wasn't exactly high fashion,
    but he was dressed rather well, in new pants, boots, his long, black coat,
    and gloves. But this would have to wait. A gun barrel had just been pressed
    into the back of his neck.
    Cletus surveyed the area. The buildings were empty. Most were probably
    for show. They were cheap, too. Probably disassembled buildings, trucked
    in, and nailed together overnight. It was possible, if you didn't actually
    use them for anything but show. The hotel was solid enough, however. He saw
    some activity in one building, however. Three men with machine guns. They
    were talking over a radio receiver. One saw him through the window.
    He pulled one of his pistols in preparation for the shoot-out. He didn't
    notice them approaching from behind, until a bullet tore into his shoulder.
    Turning, he saw the three moving forward. They were dressed in street
    clothes, but carried weapons. Before they could move any further, he raised
    his own weapon and fired, hitting one of the guards in the forehead. In the
    confusion, he shot the other two. He turned to see four more. They fired,
    hitting him a few times, but after seeing their target remain standing, they
    began to run. Cletus hit each one in the back of the head.
    He ran over to one of the bushes and pulled out a black backpack. Unzipping
    the flap, he pulled out a small remote. He moved towards one of the buildings,
    the one where the missing children were kept.
    Jack was held down in his chair. The guards held their guns on him. He
    could take them, but he was waiting for Cletus to finish. Keegan's receiver
    came on. Keegan asked, "Find the second guy yet?" "Sorry, Mr. Voorhees,
    they're dead. And I want you to listen to this," the voice replied.
    Keegan held the receiver button down. Seconds later, sounds of his city
    being blasted into pieces came over the speaker, and the ground shook as the
    buildings above were reduced to rubble. Jack threw himself forward, burying
    his right fist into Keegan's back. Before the two guards could take aim, he
    tackled one. Grabbing the handle of his machine gun, he turned it around,
    twisting the shoulder strap around the guard's shoulder. He fired, hitting the
    second. He stood. Jumping for the desk, he grabbed his shotgun and unloaded
    on the second guard.
    Keegan stood, his back still throbbing. Before he could pull his machete,
    Jack swung his shotgun, bringing the butt end across the man's face. He
    continued smashing the end of his weapon into the man's frame, shouting, "I'm
    gonna kill you SLOW!" Jack dropped his shotgun. He was now kicking Voorhees
    repeatedly. "Go ahead... kill me. I want you to. Cause then, you'll never find
    out where all the kids are kept!" Jack bent down.
    "Oh, we already have," he answered. Jack picked up his shotgun. Sticking the
    barrel under the man's chin, he pulled the trigger.
    Thursday, April 28st. 10:53 AM
    Cletus sat on the couch, watching television. Jack sat at the kitchen table,
    the General opposite him. "What will happen to those kids?" The General replied,
    "They will have their prints taken, and their prints will be checked against
    missing child reports. If claimed, they will go back to their families. Otherwise,
    they will be placed for adoption." "At least it's over," Jack said.
    "Maybe. There, it is over. But it happens all over the world. And we can't
    stop it completely. Just as we can't stop anything we fight against. But we
    can try. And you two should help make the fight easier, and should help many
    people survive, that normally would become casualties in the war." "One can
    hope," Jack replied.
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    

* * *


	16. Raicaak


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 15: Raicaak
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Friday, April 19th, 2002. 2:02 PM
    Jack finished putting away the new clothes he had bought. Shirts, socks,
    underwear, some pants.... just basic clothing. And a few spare black shirts
    and pants to go with his "official" clothing. He threw the packages away. He
    could set his new clock later. He opened the top drawer in his dresser. One
    final look. The heart pendant sat in one corner, the book of evil in the other.
    A wrapped cloth sat in the back, tacked down. The drug. A safe place, at least.
    General Peterson had given orders for no one to enter this room, so at least
    the Army and NSA weren't going to take it.
    He looked out the window to see a few vehicles pulling up. They were military.
    Jack bolted out of the room and down the stairs. He stood beside the couch.
    "Cletus... GET UP!" He flipped the set off and got up. The door opened. A colonel
    and a few agents entered. "So... Maximum Carnage. An honor," an agent greeted.
    Cletus sat back down. "Where's the General? And Cletus... pick up that bag of
    chips, you pig," Jack shouted. "The General is in Washington on a conference.
    I've been sent to pass this on." Jack opened the envelope. Pulling out the few
    papers, he looked over the photos. Murder victims.
    "They were killed in a salvage yard. Aurora, a small town 10 miles north of Rose
    Well. The manner of death can't be determined, and we can't find evidence of a
    murderer in the area. The General wanted you to investigate," he explained.
    "Cletus, get your stuff," Jack said. "We brought a few supplies. We're ready to
    leave when you are."
    Jack went up the flight of stairs to get his supplies. He put on his boots,
    coat, and gloves. Slipping on his shotgun belt, he reached in the closet for the
    weapon. He accidentally grabbed the sword and put it in his belt. Looking down,
    he grabbed the shotgun and slipped it in the loop beside the blade. He figures
    taking the sword couldn't exactly hurt. He had that bad feeling again. The one
    he had in Sub-Nizzuran.
    2:46 PM, Aurora, AR. Bill's Salvage Yard
    Jack walked around the area. Mangled, rusted car remnants, old refridgerators,
    and loads of junk. If someone was hiding out here, he would try to find whatever
    it was. One of these piles had to have a hollow space inside. And he had seen
    the pictures. Shredded flesh, resulting from something large. They looked like
    claw marks, but made no sense. Too big, too uneven. It had to be someone's sick
    idea of a joke. Cletus met up with him at the corner of one of the large piles.
    Jack asked, "Find anything?" "Not a thing," Cletus answered.
    A can fell off one of the nearby piles. Jack spun as it fell, expecting to see
    someone crawling out. Nothing. He turned around to his partner again, ready to
    split up and look more. But more debris started to fall from behind. Both men
    turned. They watched in awe as the pile stood. It had the shape of a large
    monster, down to the teeth, claws, and toes. But it was made of junk. Metal
    fragments, car parts, old cans, and small pieces of metal. Both men began to
    slowly back up as it moved forward. Cletus reached up and unclipped one of the
    grenades on his chest belt. He pulled the pin.
    "Jack... on my signal..." He tossed the grenade into the creature's stomach.
    "RUN!"
    They ran as the grenade went off. Metal fragments flew everywhere, as the
    creature split and collapsed into several pieces. Jack walked over to inspect
    the pieces. Nothing odd about them at all. He looked up as a noise above
    distracted him. Another creature crawled out from the top of the large pile.
    "How many of these things are there?"
    Cletus didn't have time to answer. The thing jumped down from the top of
    the pile of wreckage. Jack reached for his shotgun, but decided it probably
    wouldn't work. He grabbed the sword, hoping the fact it was a cursed blade
    of evil might have some impact.
    "That... the sword," the creature muttered. Jack stepped back as he rose
    the sword. It was surprisingly light, despite the size. "It was you... you
    imprisoned my king... **ENEMIES OF LORD DOMIENTIUS WILL BE DESTROYED!**" Jack
    ran up and swung the weapon. It dug across the monster's chest, tearing pieces
    of steel away. The creature didn't flinch. "Jack! Move!" Jack jumped out of
    the way as Cletus pitched another grenade. The creature was torn apart, it's
    body falling to pieces. "Cletus... we either have a new set of creatures...
    or one creature," Jack said.
    2:52 PM(4:52 Wash. DC time), Pentagon
    General Peterson sat at the large table. The war on terrorism was still
    underway, and his advice was requested. To be honest, he hated this meeting.
    It was boring. He secretly enjoyed it when his cell phone rang. "Pardon me a
    second, gentleman," he said, answering the phone. "Hello?... yes, I see...
    right. Give me just a minute. Yes... bye. Pardon me, gentleman. I have a matter
    to address. It will only take a minute." He left the conference room. He walked
    towards an agent, who had been waiting on him. "Get the translation files on
    the Domientius books ready. Our team needs a little help."
    3:08 PM
    Jack stood by the mobile receiving unit in the Jeep. The agents had set up
    outside of town in case they needed help. And right now, they needed nothing
    but help. The fax machine came to life as a stream of papers came through.
    The phone rang. It was the General. "Hello! Yeah, General... right now... let
    me look," he said. Jack picked up the first page. "Yes... the description
    is about the same. Forming bodies from junk... let's see.....Raicaak? Okay.....
    right. Did you find any weaknesses in the translations?.....read the papers,
    right." Jack picked up the final paper as it came through the machine.
    "Cletus, get over here!" Jack sorted the papers as Cletus walked over to
    the Jeep. He had restocked on his grenades, in case. Jack thumbed through
    and read aloud. "Raicaak, the Possessor. Once part of the Armies of
    Domientius, his spirit was given new powers in death. Where he once had
    the power to take over another's mind and control them, he could now possess
    bodies. Inanimate forms, created from lifeless matter." Jack skimmed the text
    until he found what he wanted. "Here we go... a weakness. He cannot leave a
    body unless it is destroyed. Immobilizing a body can trap him for as long
    as the body remains intact," he said.
    "Well, Jack, we know how to stop this thing, and what it is. But just
    how are we going to turn it into a statue?" An agent, dressed in a brown
    suit, matching his short hair, walked up.
    "There may be one way. This town has a large recycling facility. They
    handle aluminum, paper, and glass. They have the means to melt down metal
    and glass. If... _IF_ we can somehow get this being into a body of
    glass or metal, we could try to pour a casing over it from one of the
    melting vats. It may dissolve his form just enough, so that when it hardens,
    he can't move." Jack asked, "How do you know all of this?"
    The agent pulled on the small chain around his neck. A small pendant
    fell put of his shirt. Cletus recognized the shape.
    "Hey... Jack, that's the same marking that old priest had on his robes,"
    Cletus stated. Jack, looking it over, said, "But that would mean he's..."
    "Yes, I'm a member of the Ancient Order. Name's Henry Johnson," the agent
    replied. "Oooooookay... Cletus, we'll have to act as a distraction. I figure
    he may want the sword." "Right. I will ready the recycling facility, clear
    out the employees. I'll leave a marking on the floor in the spot where you
    need to go before I can make my move," he explained.
    3:13 PM, Bill's Salvage Yard
    Jack and Cletus walked around. They figured Raicaak was still here,
    since there hadn't been any sign of trouble elsewhere. They would scout
    this entire town if necessary, though. But they wouldn't need to. A pile
    shook. Jack turned as it stood. "So.... the ones who imprisoned my King.
    I will avenge Domientius. But I may offer you a chance. Hand over the
    sword, and I may spare you," the creature said. Jack pulled the sword.
    "Come get it," he replied.
    They ran from the salvage yard, Raicaak running after them. They ran
    down the sidewalk, forcing themselves past pedestrians. Raicaak barreled
    down the street, stepping over moving cars as if they were soda cans.
    "Jack, how much further?" "The plant... is a mile," he replied. "Just
    keep going!"
    They continued on, hoping they wouldn't be caught before they reached the
    facility. Minutes later, after the maze of streets, they saw it. A large
    facility. Outside sat piles of crushed glass and flattened cans. The
    employees had been cleared out by the two agents, despite protests by the
    plant manager. They stood outside the metal fence, waiting and watching.
    The two ran inside the front gate. They waited beside a pile of glass.
    Raicaak ran in and stood before them. If not for his desire to get his
    master's sword, he may have sniffed out a plan brewing. Too late. Cletus
    tossed a grenade into his torso, blasting him apart. Among the remaining
    pile of wreckage, Jack could see it. A near-invisible black cloud, rising
    into the air. It flew into the pile of glass, like he had hoped. The pile
    moved as part of it came to life. It was ten feet tall, and had a humanoid
    shape. The horns, sunken eyes, teeth, fingers, toes, all formed from the
    broken glass in an almost beautiful display.
    The two men ran in through the front double doors. Inside, they could see
    conveyor belts, fork lifts, and melting vats among the piles of paper,
    glass, and aluminum. A nearby vat sat atop several supports, a belt leading
    to the top. Jack saw a large red _X_ marked on the floor under it.
    Jack ran to it, and past it, as bait. Cletus stood to the left of him.
    The creature entered. It moved slowly forward. Jack pulled a pistol and
    fired a few shots, the bullets reducing patches of the creature to glass
    dust, but Raicaak didn't feel the wounds. It moved forward, wondering why
    they were standing still. They had room to run. Then he saw it. The _X_. A
    trap. These humans were smarter than once before, but they were still dumb.
    He moved towards Cletus instead. But he didn't notice one key piece to the
    trap. One Jack had seen. A small badge on the floor. Beside the _X_, and
    in front of Cletus by several feet.
    As Raicaak stood above the badge, an explosion blasted apart the melting
    vat above. Both men ran as the cascade of molten glass rushed down. A wave
    hit Raicaak. He screamed as his body heated up. As the wave cleared, a vent
    above turned on, blasting cold air from the air conditioner downward. The
    molten glass cooled. It had not only formed a shell, but had also worked to
    melt a good portion of the creature while it was still warm. But it had now
    hardened to a degree that Raicaak could not move. He was trapped, and he
    knew it. As long as this shell was formed, he had no escape.
    Both men looked up from atop the pile of paper they had climbed on. The
    two agents left the control room near the conveyor belt. Agent Johnson
    looked down. "Back way! There's an exit!"
    3:26 PM, recycling facility
    The crane carefully lifted the glass statue and set it on the back of
    the military truck. It was to be hauled off to a safe place, where it could
    not be touched. If it ever broke, the creature would escape. Maximum
    Carnage knew it. They didn't like fighting against the Armies of Domientius.
    They had hoped it was past them, and with this capture, they hoped it would
    not come back. The NSA didn't like the idea either. They weren't equipped to
    fight the undead.
    Jack was talking with Agent Johnson. "So... the Ancient Order is involved?"
    "Yes. Ever since Domientius was captured. General Peterson knows about us, but
    no one else does," he replied. "I'll keep it that way. By the way, what about
    Carnage? What will they do?" He answered, "They're storing him in the VCU in a
    Pentagon lab facility. He can't escape, and no one can get to him to free him.
    The most dangerous prisoner in the world deserves special attention, regardless
    of species."
    "Right... well, don't hesitate to help us if more of these show up," Jack said.
    He walked over to Cletus. "Jack, do you ever get the feeling we're being tested?"
    He sighed, saying, "I hope not."
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	17. Savior


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 16: Savior
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Monday, April 22nd, 2002. 1:10 PM
    Cletus stood beside the couch, watching out the window as the vehicles
    pulled up. Two black cars, and a limousine. His boss. He watched as the
    doors opened and the men exited. Three NSA agents, and a lone General. He
    stood as the front door opened. He knew he was about to be sent on a
    mission. Whatever it was, he was on his own. Jack had been sent off earlier
    that morning on his own assignment. Crime must be having a field day today
    to split the team.
    "Cletus. I hope you're ready for your mission briefing." It was General
    Peterson, the secret head of the NSA. The one who had asked the two to
    become _unofficial_ agents. In other words, to take care of situations the
    law couldn't touch, and bring a more immediate end, regardless of how many
    people died. "Depends. What filth to I get to crawl through today?" he asked.
    "Oh, nothing like that. No, Jack is handling that right now. No.... you
    are needed for something a little more... delicate. You see, my daughter...
    right now, I suspect her husband is abusing her and her daughter. Her doctor
    sent me some x-rays of her broken arm a few months ago. She claims she
    tripped, but he says otherwise. But she refuses to admit anything," he
    explained. "And... you want me to get the guy. Right."
    "Not exactly. No, I can't risk her finding out what I do. She would hate me,
    possibly expose me. But you can come in useful. She hasn't heard about her
    brother's death yet. You will drop by her home to deliver the news. Official
    business, more or less. You'll be going in under an assumed name, military
    rank. Just a simple cover." "Riiiiight. Okay, where, when, and how fast?" he
    demanded.
    "Los Angeles. Immediately. By tonight. You will arrive at LAX, military jet.
    You will be accompanied by a corporal, who will take you to her home. You
    will arrive before her husband does. Make sure you stay. Stay for dinner if
    you have to. I will give you extra papers to delay your stay if necessary.
    But make sure you watch him. As soon as he makes a move, either a slap, a
    smack, a rude comment, rough him up. Get her out of the room. Make sure my
    granddaughter stays safe. But I want him. Alive."
    4:56 PM, Los Angeles
    Cletus exited the car outside the suburban home. A two-story home, painted
    yellow, nestled among similar homes. Trees and yards adorned the area. A
    peaceful scene. He straightened his green uniform, the rank insignias and
    badges catching the sun. His hat blocked the sun from his eyes. For now, he
    was William Meyers, Army Lieutenant. And he had an assignment. He checked
    over the initial papers on the matter just so he knew some minor details.
    He turned to the Corporal. "Find a spot to park. Come back here and stand
    outside that door," he ordered. The man replied, "Yes, sir!"
    The car drove off, leaving Cletus to walk up the stone walkway. Climbing
    the steps, he rang the doorbell. Seconds later, the door opened. A woman in
    her forties, blonde hair, answered. "Mrs. Michelle Conner?"
    "Yes?" she replied. "Can I come in a second?" "Yes, of course," she
    answered. She let him in the home. She could see by his uniform, he was
    here on official business. He was led into the living room. "Mrs. Conner,
    I am Lieutenant William Meyers, US Army. You have a brother, Jacob Roberts,
    correct?"
    "Yes... I haven't seen him in five years though. Why, he in trouble?" "He's
    dead," Cletus repleid. She dropped onto the couch. The news had hit her like
    a sack of bricks. "But... I knew he was a Federal Agent, but... how?"
    "Yes. He was on a mission. Small criminal operation in Arizona. Man selling
    kidnapped children. He was shot while investigating. You may have heard about
    the incident. Some vigilantes moved in and blew up the area before we could
    regroup. I really can't say anything more," he told her. "Right... well-"
    She stopped her sentence as a man entered the room. He was fairly tall,
    with thinning black hair. Middle-aged, not in near the physical condition
    Cletus was. "Where's dinner? And who's this?"
    "Larry, this is Lieutenant-" "Let him speak up for himself!" he shouted
    Cletus turned to face the man. He could see the Corporal moving up the porch.
    "Lieutenant William Meyers, US Army. I was asked to come by to-" The man
    stepped forward, his right arm out, pointing a finger forward. "I don't care
    who you are, you get- AAAH!"
    He let out a growl as Cletus grabbed his wrist and squeezed. His unusual
    strength made it no effort for him. he could have shattered the bone inside
    if he'd wished. He almost did. Fuck his orders. "Mister, I am trained in military
    combat. I could kill you without trying. But I wouldn't need to. There is a
    Corporal outside the door. The both of us could drag you out of here if necessary.
    Understand?"
    Larry simply shook his head. Cletus let go. Cletus knew he was lying, but then
    again, so was his costume and his current name. A deception General Peterson had
    set up. To save his daughter. Cletus decided he had to go with it, make this
    believable. Cletus turned as he heard footsteps along the staircase. It was a
    young girl, roughly eighteen. She had black hair, held in a ponytail. "Mom...
    what's going on?" she asked.
    "Nothing, sweetie. Dinner will be ready soon." "Okay. Oh, who's this?" Cletus
    had just remembered to remove his hat. "This is Lieutenant William Meyers. He's
    with the Army," she explained. "Oh, okay. Call me when dinner's ready."
    The girl went back up the stairs. Cletus could see why the General was so
    disturbed. This family was on a powder keg named Larry. And he had to do something,
    orders or not. He removed the envelope from his jacket. "I have details about his
    funeral arrangements, papers you need to sign." "Oh, yes... listen, would you like
    to stay for dinner?" she asked.
    "Well, I don't know," he answered. "Just a second. Larry, do you mind if
    the Lieutenant stays for dinner?" The man was still rubbing his wrist. "Yeah,
    sure, whatever. I just want him outta here in an hour, or else!" Cletus almost
    laughed at the threat. _'Or what, you fucking joke?'_
    He simply sat and watched the woman enter the kitchen. She hid it well, but he
    knew she was afraid. It wasn't something an abused woman showed in front of a
    stranger, especially out of fear that stranger might take away the abuse,
    which, in their mind, the person abusing them is seen as a special person.
    Cletus had seen enough of these abusers in his days in the asylums. They thought
    they were doing nothing wrong, and often, the wife refused testimony. The thought
    of losing their 'provider' proved more painful than the beatings. If not for the
    integrity of this mission, Cletus would have drawn the pistol from his belt and
    shot this man right where he stood.
    And he probably would have enjoyed it.
    As he thumbed through the contents of the large envelope, preparing himself in
    case he needed to explain anything on the documents, he heard some noises in the
    kitchen. A loud smack, followed by a scream of pain. The arguments cut through him.
    It was loud. Loud enough to send their daughter rushing down the stairs. Cletus
    couldn't take it anymore. The more he heard, the worse it got. It was happening
    again. Sub-Nizzuran wasn't this bad. He wished he was still there. But no twisted
    otherworldly dimension could compare to the evils of man.
    He really wished Jack was here.
    "Please... help her!" Cletus looked up. "Stay here!" he shouted.
    He drew his revolver and pulled back on the hammer. He bolted towards the large
    swinging door and crashed through it. He rose his pistol. Larry had picked up a
    large knife and was moving towards her. Whether or not he would kill her didn't
    matter. To Cletus, he was fighting Carnage again. Not the physical being, but an
    idea. He almost emptied the chamber, but reality snapped him out of it. This would
    stop, but not in blood.
    "Drop the knife, you fucking pig!"
    Both of them stopped, the woman in a daze. Her husband stood still, knife
    in hand. He looked down the barrel of the gun. "Come on... you don't really
    think I was-" "I said drop it. Move so much as an inch the wrong way, I'll
    turn you into a new paint color!" he ordered, just waiting for an excuse to
    fire. He faced Michelle, not moving his gun or his focus. "Get out of here."
    She hesitated, but seeing she was safe, she ran from the kitchen. "Just you
    and me," Cletus taunted. "Play nice, and you may get out of this" "You don't
    have the guts-"
    Larry never got to finish his sentence. He fell to the floor, unconscious. Cletus
    saw the reason. Three small silver darts in his back. The face of one of many
    NSA agents visible in a nearby window. The agent waved for Cletus to get the man
    out of the house. _'Dammit... just great, just **FUCKING** great!'_
    Holstering his pistol, he pulled the darts out and shoved them in his pocket,
    being careful not to stick himself on the needles. He ran out of the room.
    Moving to the front door, he opened it and brought his escort in. "What's going
    on?" she asked.
    "Ma'am, your husband is under arrest for assaulting a military officer. He
    came at he with that knife. I knocked him out. Corporal, help me carry him
    outside!" "Yes, sir," came the familiar reply. "Is that all you can say?"
    "No, but as of now, I'm on duty, assigned to aide you, so I will not speak
    out of turn, sir," he answered. "Stop that! Just... help me," Cletus ordered.
    They entered the kitchen and carried the unconscious heap outside. Cletus sat
    him on the porch swing. "Cet the car."
    The man saluted and stepped onto the walkway. Moving down the road to the
    dark green car, he entered, turned the key, and backed down the road, finally
    pulling into the driveway in front of the house. He existed, helping Cletus
    stuff the man in the back seat. "Where are you taking him?" she asked.
    "Classified. He'll be held until he regains consciousness, then questioned.
    We'll notify you. I left the envelope on your brother inside so you can look
    over it," he explained. "But... but..."
    Cletus walked over to the passenger's side and entered. The Corporal
    backed out and drove down the road. Turning a corner, they were waved down
    by a man in a black suit. "Corporal, stop the car!"
    The car came to a halt. Cletus identified the man as the same Agent who
    had fired the darts. The man entered the back seat, stuffing the prisoner
    to the other side. The Corporal removed his helmet and unbuttoned his
    shirt. he wore a brown suit underneath. "I'm not really a Corporal," he
    explained.
    "What the hell? Well, I'm not a real Lieutenant! I just hope she didn't
    suspect this was some sort of sting!" he said. "Don't worry, you did
    fine. We did fine. Right, Arkin?" The agent in the back seat had just
    removed his glasses. "Yeah. Let's get to LAX. There's a jet waiting for
    us. This package has someone waiting on it."
    8:01 PM, Phoenix
    The room was dark, aside from the few dim lights from the ceiling. A
    small metal chair sat near the back wall, a man tied down to it. It
    was Larry Conner. Except someone was about to use him as his own whipping
    boy.
    A crowd stepped in. Three men in black suits, a US Army General, and
    one of our heroes, Clets Kasady. He was no longer in his phony uniform,
    but his standard shirt and jeans. They moved towards the man, still
    woozy from his drugging. He looked up to see his worst nightmare about
    to come true. General Peterson stood right next to him. "Hello, Larry.
    Remember me?"
    "...y..you... I should'a known," he spat. "Oh, really?" The General
    brought the back of his left fist across the man's face, hard. Cletus
    handed him a syringe and bottle. The General filled the device with a mild
    amount of the liquid, and pulling the needle from the rubber top, stuck
    it in the man's arm and injected.
    "Now... let's see how you do with some sodium penathol in your system. You
    see, Lawrence, I know what you've been doing. And I don't like it. Just
    because I live so far away doesn't mean I can't find out. I can find out
    everything about anyone given the resources. Agent Arkin, hit that recorder
    for me..." The Agent pressed the record button on a small pocket-sized tape
    recorder.
    "Now then... did you hit my daughter?" he asked. "...y... yes," came the
    reply. "You can't lie to me. Not with that drug in your system. Now, did
    you break her arm five months ago?" he asked. "...yes."
    General Peterson continued the questions, each becoming more graphic and
    severe. And the answers varied. _Yes_ to most, _no_ to just a
    few. The conversation was recorded the entire time for record keeping
    purposes. Finally, after fifteen minutes, he was done.
    "Larry, Larry... you really did yourself in. And in the worst way, too.
    Now, you have to be punished. But don't worry... you'll live." Cletus took
    a step forward."I...knew you....were phony...."
    He turned to the small chair. "Yeah, but it doesn't matter now. Oh, and
    since you won't be telling anyone....I'm really Cletus Kasady, the former
    killer!"
    Larry let out a loud, terrifying scream. Not that it would do him any
    good. They were several floors underground. No one but NSA Agents could
    hear him at this point. The few in the area. General Peterson flipped on
    a light switch. This was nothing more than a small room, no decorations
    other than ugly green tile. A secret interrogation room. By current
    knowledge, the US didn't know this place existed. Meaning, laws didn't
    apply. Pumping a suspect with truth serum was allowed here. No 'going by
    the book'. Cletus wondered how many people were brought here, how much
    history centered on people spilling their guts in this room.
    The two Agents uncuffed Larry's arms and untied his ankles, carrying him
    out of the room. "Where are they taking him?" Cletus asked. "Remember that
    chip put into your brain to calm you down?"
    "How could I forget? It's still there! Symbiote shorted it out after it was
    put in, but it did work on the other guy!"
    "Exactly. We've licensed that technology on a smaller scale. He will be
    getting one of those for himself. I can't kill him, otherwise Michelle will
    know it was me. And Melissa, my granddaughter, I can't have her hating me
    the rest of her life," he said.
    "Well... it has to be done. He's a goddamn pig!" Cletus replied. "You've
    had a long day, Cletus. You should get home and get some rest."
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	18. Demonseed Among Us


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 17: Demonseed Among Us
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Tuesday, April 23rd, 2002. 9:02 AM, Brooklyn
    Jack stood by the small apartment window. He was back in his home town,
    though it was temporary. No, he hadn't returned on his own free will- it
    was a mission. He was stuffed in this apartment building on stakeout. Unlike
    the one he had lived in some time ago, this apartment was nice. His cover
    was the son of a wealthy businessman. And to compensate for the lack of his
    partner, he was well equipped.
    He had several pistols, his shotgun, an AK-47, and a few grenades. Before
    leaving, his coat was finally altered to fit him. It no longer hung to his
    ankles. Just to his knees now, and the sleeves didn't hide his palms. They'd
    even added a zipper. Then there was the video camera watching the opposite
    side of the street, as well as a cell phone in case he needed to call out.
    The papers and photos sat on the bed and the table. Jack couldn't believe this.
    A Screelak? Spotted in this city?
    Maybe. No one knew for sure. But as of now, he was watching someone who was
    believed to be... not human. An upstanding young man, college student. He'd
    taken a strange turn lately. He was normally a party animal, and popular with
    the girls. But he had become secretive and reclusive, about the same time
    reports of a monster in the area surfaced. Jack remembered the old man. How
    he had acted like a human, but turned into one of those things. And if one was
    out there, it had to be taken down before it could do any serious damage. But
    the government wanted it alive. No easy task.
    Jack jumped as his cell phone rang. He picked it up and opened the cover.
    "Hello?... oh, Clete. What?... YOU WHAT? ARE YOU **LOSING IT?**... well... okay...
    but remember, don't open that tube! And be careful. Take only a bit. And for
    crying out loud, don't let anyone USE IT!... okay... bye."
    He hung up. Cletus wanted to test that drug in a lab. Jack was glad he wasn't
    there to strangle his partner. But right now, he had another job. And it was about
    to get tougher. He monitored the view window on the camera. The man could be seen
    headed to his apartment building, two people behind him with the same blank stare.
    _'Oh, man... we've got more than we counted on'_
    He picked up the walkie talkie sitting on the small table. "Team 1 and team 2,
    be ready to move in on my signal. We may have three of them," he shouted.
    Two teams of Agents waited in the area in case he needed them. And if he was going
    to get one of these alive, he'd need their help. He grabbed a few necessities- his
    shotgun, some pistols, conveniently stuffed in his coat pockets, grenades shoved in
    with the pistols, and one item of importance. The heart pendant of Domientius. It
    might be useful bait if these were Screelaks. They'd flock to it. Slipping the receiver
    in his last empty pocket, he exited the apartment, moved to the first floor, exited
    the building, and crossed the street. Entering the building, he moved to the proper
    door. He knocked.
    "Pizza!"
    He heard movement inside. "We ordered nothing. Begone." Not a standard human
    response. He knocked again. "Heart of Domientius!" he shouted. The door opened.
    A black haired young man answered. "Come in..."
    Jack entered the small apartment. Very quaint. No furniture, no lights, nothing
    but some sort of ritual circle. "Yes... we know you. You're not mortal." The red
    haired young man spoke up. "He's one of the two who defeated Domientius," he said.
    Finally, the blond young man, the one who had been suspected, spoke up. "Taking
    the heart will be difficult. Tell me, human, what do you have to gain by taunting
    us?"
    Jack dangled the chain on the end of his right index finger, the black
    glove material preventing the chain from sliding. The five red stones caught
    what little light the room had. "Okay, let's play a game. You answer my
    questions, and I might let you have this," he replied. The red haired one moved
    towards the leader of the pack.
    "Can we trust this human?" "We have no choice. Fine. Ask us anything," the
    creature said. "Okay. Are you human?"
    "No, we are Screelak." "Were those bodies human?" Jack asked. It answered,
    "No." Jack tensed up inside as he asked the third question. "What happened
    to the people you copied?"
    "Dead."
    "How do you copy bodies?" he asked. "Demonic incantations given to us by our
    Lord." Jack stuffed the pendant away inside his coat. "I'm sick of this. Off
    with 'em, go on, drop the skins," he demanded.
    The three stared at each other. Seeing no option, they complied. Their bodies
    grew, their skin and clothes splitting in the process. In seconds, the skins
    were dropped to the floor, the three Screelaks in their place. Jack turned away
    and grabbed the radio receiver. "Advance slowly. Both teams, move out now," he
    ordered.
    He stuffed it away as he turned to face them. They were almost identical, down
    to their skin color and shape. Minor differences separated them. "Now, human...
    you know our true forms. Will you join us?"
    "Yes, yes I will... let me get the pendant out. Be ready to catch it..."
    Jack grabbed in his pocket and pulled a grenade. Pulling the pin, he tossed it.
    The third Screelak grabbed it, the explosion ripping it's arms and face apart.
    The second began to attack, but the one in charge held it back. "No... this human
    does not yet trust us. Maybe we can make him see..."
    Someone was pounding on the door. A woman's voice could be heard. The Agents
    would have simply kicked it in. Not quite time for a capture. Jack pulled his
    shotgun and pointed forward. "Who wants to die?" "Human... you can't win... the
    glory of Domientius will cleanse this planet soon enough, and you can not stop
    it!"
    "Kiss my ass!" he screamed, killing the secondary creature. The final creature
    attacked. As it charged, the door was kicked in. Several Agents poured in the
    room, guns drawn. They fired. Small silver darts hit the creature. Jack turned
    to one of the Agents. "Will those darts work on it?"
    "We... hope so," he answered.
    The creature had barely flinched as it was struck, but as more darts hit, the
    drugs took effect, slowly. The creature was moving at a crawl, but still
    conscious. It was still very dangerous, despite its weakened state. Spectators
    had gathered in the hall, the Agents holding them out of the room, but if it
    got out, it could kill many. And in the way of Screelak sightings, this was
    their only chance to study a living specimin.
    Jack pulled a small black cloth bag from one of his pockets. he did what he
    was told to do with it- he put it over the monster's head and pulled the
    drawstring. Blocking its sight, Jack was able to grab onto it, holding it
    in place. Several Agents ran forward and took their chance to tie its arms and
    legs together. Within minutes, the creature was down, wriggling, but unable
    to move. It was tied into a helpless ball.
    9:28 AM
    The carts were wheeled outside. Reporters had shown up, but prevented from
    taking any pictures. The creature was hoisted from the large moving cart into
    a waiting truck. It was still muttering threats, which by now, were being
    ignored. The second cart contained the dead Screelak pieces, placed in a
    sterile container for transport to Washington, D.C. They were a bonus. Not
    only was a live one captured, but pieces to study as well. And no one had died
    in the process.
    7:30 PM
    Jack drove up the road in his small Tracer. Stopping in front of the house,
    he exited the car and walked towards the door. Opening it, he stepped inside.
    Cletus was sitting on the couch. Jack pulled off his coat and threw it on the
    floor, the weapons in the pockets making a loud racket as they hit. Jack
    stepped in the kitchen. He noticed a stack of papers on the table. "Whats
    this?"
    Cletus looked up from his movie. "Oh, those are the test results on the
    serum. Might wanna read them."
    "Later," he said.
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	19. Fear And Loathing


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 18: Fear and Loathing
    by Justin Anderson
    With due respect to Hunter S. Thompson
    
    
    
    Thursday, April 25th, 2002. 8:41 AM. Arizona
    They were near the Nevada state border, out in the desert, when
    realization began to take hold. Cletus asked, "hey, just what're we doin'
    out here, anyway?" Jack fumbled with the radio, turning it down. "General
    wants us to check out a few suicides in Las Vegas. Not just the usual
    stuff, he says these are weird..." "Weird? HOW?" Cletus asked.
    "They'll fill us in when we get there. All he could tell me was that these
    were people with no reason to kill themselves. Most hadn't even gambled yet.
    He thinks they're murders of some kind. General thinks maybe someone's
    working the area over. He's not sure who, but he said we should be careful,"
    Jack said. "I just hope you're ready to check into a hotel under an assumed
    name and an assortment of weaponry. Maybe it's nothing, but the General
    wanted us armed to the teeth. I think he's not telling us something."
    10:13 AM, Las Vegas
    It had been a straight burn from their small Arizona farmhouse to the strip,
    checking into the luxurious MGM Grand hotel. They had checked in as brothers,
    seeking nothing more than gambling. It helped ensure they'd be treated well.
    Jack had left his coat in the car, no need to draw attention. Their tailor
    made, expensive suits helped them blend in, it let people know they had money.
    And they had money. Easily a hundred grand, all in cash. Government money
    they were to blow as they pleased.
    No one had questioned the car. Jack had explained it was to keep from drawing
    undue attention to such high rollers as himself and Cletus. Or, as they checked
    in, Robert and Arnold Zimmerman. And no one was going to dare look in their
    trunk.
    They had a suite to themselves. They were spending their money, all right.
    "Tom Jones is playing tonight. I think I'll check it out," Jack said,
    unpacking several light arms and hiding them away. "I don't know, I might
    hit the casinos. If anyone ever tells us why the hell we're here, anyway!"
    Cletus didn't like this. The money and room were all fine. He'd be content
    to blow every cent. But they were supposed to be here on a mission, and no
    one had even bothered to tell them WHAT their mission even was.
    A knock at the door. Jack eyed through the peephole. The door opened
    immediately. Henry Johnson, along with two others. They each wore the same
    black suit, same haircut. How anyone told them apart from each other was
    still a mystery. "We just finished checking out a fresh scene," Agent Johnson
    said. "Suicide note, wrists cut. It was addressed to his wife, but..."
    "Let me guess, **no** wife," Cletus uttered. "Right. We couldn't
    find anything unusual. No sign of a break-in, no sign anyone had been
    there." Jack loaded his Beretta, slipping it into the holster under his
    suit jacket. "Well, if we are dealing with a murderer, we have no motive,
    no method. In other words, we have nothing at all. So, better go out and
    see if anyone suspicious is wandering around the city."
    "And where do you suggest we START looking?" Cletus asked. "Where
    else," Jack replied, "but the heart of Las Vegas!"
    10:21 AM
    "Hit me," Jack shouted. The dealer tossed him the final card. He had a
    ten, a five, and a three. He checked the final card. Another three. He
    collected the fresh stack of chips, walking away from the table. One game,
    and he was up several hundred dollars already. Cletus walked the aisles,
    eyeing the slots and dealer tables. Spotting anyone suspicious would be
    almost impossible. Even this early on a Thursday morning, the place was
    still packed. almost nothing but tourists.
    He took a seat at the bar. He'd have to come up with some sort of valid
    plan. They had been scanning the place for two minutes, and had already
    gotten nowhere extremely fast. And the goddamn NSA had found nothing useful
    at any of the crime scenes. Vegas police had found nothing, either.
    Several cases of suicide, each extremely odd. The ones that were not apparent
    suicides were even stranger- as if they had died trying to escape something.
    He was distracted as a young blonde nodded to him from a few seats away.
    He returned the gesture. Looking at his watch, he turned his attention back
    to her. She was gone. He scanned the area. She was nowhere to be found.
    Jack sat beside him at the bar.
    "Jack, I swear I just saw a woman who wasn't there..." he said. Jack replied,
    "we ain't here to stare at girls." "No, I mean... never mind. Find anything?"
    "Just a few hundred bucks. This is pointless, we ain't finding a thing here,"
    he said. The bartender approached them. Jack thought, finally settling on a
    martini. "Why not," he said. Cletus still looked around, hoping to spot the
    mystery woman. Nothing. Maybe he had imagined it? Or maybe he had found
    something, after all. "It's still early. We might have to wait for the next
    crime scene," Cletus said.
    8:54 PM
    Jack had left to see Tom Jones in concert. While he had never really
    heard Tom Jones before, he figured he was in Vegas, so why not? Cletus
    remained in his room. After all, had they been sent out here to gamble
    and binge on booze and music, or had they actually been sent out here
    **_to do a job?_** He wasn't sure anymore.
    "Look at this," a voice from behind shouted. "You really disappoint me,
    Cletus!" He spun. He couldn't believe it. Standing behind him, tendrils
    flailing, was Carnage. "I'm gonna cut you up GOOD!" He jumped back in time
    to dodge the swinging blade, each step just fast enough to avoid the
    creature. Leaping for the Beretta on the table, he rose and fired. The slugs
    hit the wall. Carnage was gone. In fact, he'd never even been there.
    Grabbing the phone, he demanded the front desk dial out. In seconds, the
    phone rang. Henry Johnson picked up the other end. "You guys need to get
    over here, now!" Cletus shouted.
    9:07 PM
    "Looks like we have something here," Agent Johnson said as he inspected the
    bullet holes in the wall. "Good thing you had a silencer on that. you sure you
    saw Carnage?" "Yeah," Cletus replied. "Like he was in this room. Same thing
    with that girl in the bar making eyes at me..."
    Agent Johnson considered what he had so far. Two hallucinations. Not much,
    but it was better than what they'd had this morning. "Where's Jack?" he asked.
    "The Tom Jones show. Leave him be, we can't do much anything now."
    10:44 PM
    Cletus remained in his room. It would do no good to go looking for anything.
    Besides, if whatever this was had come after him once, it might show up again.
    He reloaded his pistol, checking the silencer. He was face palmed as he
    turned around. Jack entered the room as Cletus hit the floor. He saw the
    intruder clearly- tall, dressed in a business suit, and a very pale, almost
    bluish skin. Drawing his Beretta, he gave chase as the intruder ran for the
    large sliding glass door to the balcony. He hovered in the air, over the
    edge. Jack fired, but hit nothing.
    He checked Cletus. Nothing serious, but his nose was bleeding. 'Great...
    probably not paying attention. Staring at girls, too, what am I gonna do...?"
    He drew the bottle of triazomine from his coat. 'Yeah, here we go.' Slipping
    a pill in Cletus's mouth, he forced it down, shouting, "swallow, swallow!
    Medicine!" He took another. "One for the doctor..." he said as he downed it.
    Cletus wiped the blood from his face as he came to. "Someone was on the
    room. I chased him out. Weird lookin', too. Light blue skin." "You saw him?"
    Cletus asked. "Yeah. He busted your nose." Jack grabbed the phone, ringing
    the front desk. He demanded his car be brought to the front. "We know who it
    is now. Let's go hunting!"
    10:58 PM
    Jack stopped the car outside the city limits. Ditching the jacket, he
    pulled his bulletproof coat from the back, slipping it on. Another car
    pulled up beside them. Three NSA Agents joined him. Jack popped the trunk.
    "All right. We have plenty of firepower, few explosives, we should be
    prepared."
    The two loaded up on weaponry. "We think we know what we're after," Cletus
    said. "Some guy with very light skin. Jack said it was some sort of light
    blue. He can hover." Henry Johnson felt uneasy. Cletus picked up on it.
    "Spit it out."
    "All right. We weren't sure about it, but... some time ago, a private
    corporation was working on genetic mutation research. Two brothers
    volunteered. The experiments were a failure. They were driven insane,
    but became mutates in the process. They call themselves Terror and Disgust,"
    he explained. "Terror because he can cause intense hallucinations in his
    victims, and Disgust has the ability to force his victims into a deep
    depression. We thought they were dead. They do this as a way to feed on
    the energy produced by the brain's electrical impulses. They're also
    homicidal."
    Jack loaded his shotgun. "Good, two of them. That's just GREAT! And they
    could be anywhere, right?" he asked. Agent Johnson replied, "not
    necessarily. They're reclusive. They hate excessive light. Vegas, at
    night, is perfect for them, but being near too many people at a time
    can be painful to them. They also can't hover for very long."
    "Well," Jack said, "they came after us once tonight. They might do it
    again. Let's get back to the strip, let them come to us!"
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	20. Vegas Showdown


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 19: Vegas Showdown
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    11:13 PM
    They heard the screaming in the hall on their way to the room.
    Kicking the door in, they found a woman, struggling to get away.
    Away from what, they didn't know. They couldn't see anything. Jack
    spotted someone outside the window. It was the same one he'd seen
    earlier. Taking quick aim, he fired the twelve-gauge. He'd hit something.
    The glass shattered, yes, but he knew a few of the pellets had hit flesh.
    The woman had stopped screaming. Her invisible assailant had vanished.
    "Come on, we'd better go find him!" Jack said, running from the room.
    Cletus followed. "Jack... was she wearing anything?" "How the fuck should
    I know?" They ran through the halls, ignoring those who came out of their
    apartments to investigate the noise.
    "I feel a bit light headed," Cletus said. "What was that pill you gave me?"
    "Never mind," Jack shouted. They ran to their room. Someone was waiting on
    them. Two men, same light blue skin. One was clutching his shoulder. "You
    two... no. Something's wrong, I can't tap into their minds!" one of them
    shouted. The other gave a cold stare. "Then we shall leave!"
    They floated out the balcony door. Both men fired, but the two were well
    out of sight.
    11:21 PM
    They'd left the hotel before anyone could ask about the commotion.
    Driving along the strip, they spotted the two floating above the city. But
    they were moving slowly, hovering low. They were injured and starving. But
    the traffic only made things worse for the hunt. Jack could barely keep up
    with them, let alone make a decent pace with the traffic and late night
    gambling crowds.
    He blew past traffic by cutting into the opposite lane. He was damned if
    he was going to lose them. Not now. He followed them straight into the
    desert. No lights. Perfect, considering the two hated light, and Vegas
    certainly had enough of them. Slamming the brakes, the car stopped in a
    skid in the sand and dust. Jack exited the driver's side, grabbing as many
    weapons as he could.
    "They're out there," he said. "And they aren't going back to that city!"
    Thursday, April 25th, 2002. 11:27 PM. Las Vegas
    Jack knew they were somewhere out there. The stretch of dust that passed
    as a desert on the outskirts of Las Vegas, no lights whatsoever. They'd have
    to go on foot. Driving in this stuff at night would prove rather difficult.
    Jack exited the vehicle, switching on his flashlight. He found them in the
    trunk- two pairs of night vision goggles. _'Glad I grabbed these,'_ he thought.
    He tossed the second pair to Cletus, slipping his own on. "We'll be able to
    see anything that moves. Let's just hope these two aren't too smart." Cletus
    switched his pair on, commenting, "bet they can see in the dark." They could
    see fairly well, if only in a sort of greenish haze. Cletus just hoped they
    didn't end up shooting each other.
    11:31 PM
    Jack spotted them floating above. Several shotgun bursts caused them to
    scatter. Hard to tell if he'd hit them, but he had their attention. He chased
    them with pistol fire, but they moved quick. Cletus ran after one, firing
    like mad. His target fell, but hung in the air, low. He'd hit it. His target
    managed to flee, but the blood hitting the ground was a sure sign he'd done
    some damage.
    Jack fired, hitting the same target. A massive lump hit the ground. He
    watched the skies. The other had already left. They examined the body. Barely
    breathing, Jack finished him quickly. "That's one down," he said. Cletus
    looked for the other, but found nothing.
    Nearby, out of view, Terror hovered. They had killed his brother. Survival
    would be much harder now. Feeding on the electrical impulses of the human
    brain would require more effort. He really didn't care that his brother was
    dead. He was far too selfish.
    11:38 PM
    He was leading them around. Terror would hover above their heads, dodging
    their fire. All he had to do was lure them far enough away from the car, and
    fly straight for the city. They would never catch him. It was a shame his
    vision at night was so poor, but he had no trouble finding them. Their gunfire
    told him what he needed to know.
    11:44 PM
    Cletus didn't know of course, but the Triazomine pill he'd been given was
    wearing off. Terror knew this. He could feel the man's mind suddenly open.
    He read the man's deepest memories. Sorting through them, he chose one.
    Cletus barely dodged the Scorpion's tail. "You fucker!" he shouted, firing
    at nothing. He was locked in battle with his imagination. The Scorpion was
    gone. Carnage jumped out of the shadows, swinging his blades. Carnage laughed
    at him, mocking him. He kept firing, the shots hitting nothing.
    "What the HELL is wrong with you?" Jack screamed. Cletus dropped the gun,
    realizing nothing had been attacking him. "The other one's not far." He had
    just become useless. The thing could tap into his mind, make him hallucinate.
    He could be firing at his target, or nothing at all.
    But why didn't Jack suffer the same hallucinations?
    "Come on," Jack said, "I've had enough of this."
    11:53 PM
    Terror examined the car. His assailants hadn't fired at him for some
    time. He'd lost them. But simply stalling them by leading them away wasn't
    going to be sufficient. If they no longer had a car, they would never
    even make it to the city before he'd drained everyone in it. Checking the
    front seat, he found no keys. He popped the trunk. If they had explosives,
    they may be useful.
    He was shot the second he opened the hatch. Blood poured from the wound
    in his shoulder. Jack climbed out, ready to fire again. Terror, running on
    pure adrenaline, flew into the air. This was not going to end so easily.
    He tried to dodge the hail of bullets. One had caught his left foot. He was
    dropping slowly. Using what strength remained, he headed for Vegas. Tapping
    into Cletus's mind, he blanked himself from the sky. But Jack could still
    see him.
    11:56 PM
    Terror touched down on the pavement. He was losing too much blood. He
    hadn't fed on brain impulses. He was starving to death and bleeding to
    death. If not for the horrible sounds roaring in his ears, he may have
    heard the car approach. He couldn't see it, of course. The headlights were
    off. In seconds, he fell over, dead. The gunfire had seen to that.
    "What now?" Cletus asked. "Well," Jack replied, "we could wheel back
    into town and check into another hotel. But... I'd rather just go home!"
    He sped away, stripping off his goggles and turning on the headlights.
    He'd let the government clean this one up. They'd certainly done a poor
    job keeping it on order.
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	21. Addiction


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 20: Addiction
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Friday, April 26th, 2002. 8:34 PM
    Jack was wishing he'd stayed in Vegas. Television, for the most
    part, sucked. And they had no mission to speak of today. A perfect
    "day off". Jack hated the inactivity.
    Cletus entered the front door. He had just finished his final
    inspection of the Harley Davidson that sat outside. He'd learned
    to ride during the retirement, but never had the cash to get a bike.
    Now that he was covert government material, he could get one with no
    cost to him. He was starting to like the arrangement. As he reached
    the top of the stairs, he could hear Jack rummaging in his room.
    "Jack, what the hell is triazomine?"
    Jack stopped digging through the mess on the floor, but didn't turn
    his head yet. _'Shit!'_, he thought. "...vitamins. Why?" Cletus
    had been suspicious. The mystery pill Jack had given him, and he was
    sure he felt strange afterwards. "Forget it. I looked it up," Cletus
    said.
    "I feel like it, that's why! If you took 'em, give 'em back!" "I tossed
    them," he replied. "I know you're not sick. If the serum caused any side
    effects, I'd be feeling them too, and-"
    "SHUT UP!" Jack screamed. Cletus straightened up as his friend sat on
    the floor, looking the other way. He almost jumped as he heard a
    familiar clicking noise. And he didn't know what to think when Jack
    turned, aiming agun straight at him. "Shit!"
    He managed to jump out of the way before being hit. Reaching the stairs,
    he slipped and fell. Pulling himself up from the bottom floor, he shot
    towards the door. And the thing would have to open inward. Running
    outside, he jumped on the Harley. Starting it up, he sped down the road.
    8:59 PM
    "...yes, General. Right. Triazomine. I looked it up... Yes, that's what
    it does. Okay... right."
    Cletus closed the cell phone. He could have stopped some time ago and
    used it, but he was too concerned with the mess Jack had become- a
    drug-crazed maniac who would do anything for a fix. Even kill his only
    friend. One of those types he'd adored as Carnage. Now it just made
    him sick. He heard the second bike approach as he stuffed the phone
    back in the pouch on his own cycle. For once today, things were starting
    to look up. It was Captain America.
    "Cletus! I was in the area, and I figured I would stop in for a quick
    visit... something's wrong," he said. "...yeah. Jack's lost it. He was
    popping some pills. I took the bottle and pitched 'em. Then he went
    psycho." "Where is he?" Captain America asked.
    "Back at the house... it'll take us about twenty minutes to get there,"
    he answered. "We'll try to make it fifteen."
    9:16 PM
    Cletus snuck around the side of the house. Jack had no doubt heard the
    bikes pull up. But he hadn't shot at them yet. Cletus eyed the damage
    inside. The lights were off, making a full survey impossible. But he
    could see Jack. Barely, since he was huddled in a corner, his black coat
    over him. He could hear the mumblings.
    "...can't.....must save country....from demons....yeah, **_THINGS THAT DON'T
    EXIST_**.....must be stopped...."
    "I don't know how long he's been taking those pills," Cletus explained.
    "But the fact I took them, combined with the work we do, I don't think
    he'll listen to me." Captain America replied, "Then let me talk to him."
    "He's probably armed."
    Cap made his way to the front window. "Jack?" The form inside stirred,
    but didn't get up. "Jack, it's Captain America... can we talk?" Jack
    stood. He stepped out from the shadows. "Oh, Captain America... the figurehead,"
    Jack reponded. "Jack, you don't need to do this!"
    Cap barely had enough time to raise his shield. If he hadn't seen Jack
    pull his shotgun, he would have caught the full blast. "Well, CAPTAIN
    America, I have news for you. You're useless. You exist as a public icon.
    You serve no other purpose. You don't protect this country... _I_ DO!"
    Cap jumped out of the way as several more bursts were fired. He ran back
    to Cletus. "He won't listen.....either he's suffering terrible withdrawal...
    or..." "Listen, he's just pissed off right now. Let him cool down. I have
    someone on the way."
    10:45 PM
    Cletus and Cap stood beside the General's limo as it stopped. Cap gave
    a salute as General Peterson stepped out. "Please, stop that," General
    Peterson said. "Now, where is Jack?" "In the house. He won't listen to
    me, and he shot at Cap," Cletus answered. "Right... only one thing I
    can do right now."
    Cletus was worried. Would the General try to take Jack out? Or worse?
    He watched as the man neared the window. "Jack... it's General Peterson.
    I have something for you!" Jack stepped forward as the General reached
    inside his jacket. Jack expected a pistol. Instead, he saw a calming sight.
    Two small pill bottles. "Jack... it's Triazomine. All you could ever want!"
    he said.
    He tossed one of the bottles through the window. Jack caught it. Opening
    the bottle and examining the pills, he poured several down his throat and
    swallowed them. Sitting on the couch, he dropped his shotgun, let out a
    chuckle, and passed out. Cletus couldn't believe it.
    "**WHAT THE HELL IS _WRONG_ WITH YOU**?"
    "Listen Cletus.....he's an effective soldier. Intelligent and quick. I
    know there's no excuse to support his habit, but he'll have to work out
    his problems on his own. You're his friend, not his father. Please....
    let him handle it himself. He'll do it someday. Meanwhile, if those drugs
    keep him in a state to make this country a better place, he will take
    them. It will be his choice... not yours. Meanwhile, he probably won't
    remember any of this when he wakes up. I'll have my men inventory what
    was destroyed and bring replacements. I'd suggest you don't bring it up!"
    he said.
    General Peterson walked off to give instructions to the agents who
    had come along. He nodded to Captain America as he passed by. "...nice
    guy. Your boss?" Cap asked. "Unfortunately." Cap saluted and walked off.
    Cletus straightened himself as the General passed by once again. He had
    a mean look on his face as he moved past, whispering, "I'll deal with
    you later..."
    The General moved faster, around the corner of the house. He couldn't
    believe it. But his anger quickly subsided when he saw General Peterson,
    talking with the same agents he was with seconds ago. The General
    noticed Cletus staring blankly at him. "Can I help you?" he asked.
    "... never mind."
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	22. What It's Worth


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 21: What It's Worth
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Monday, April 29th, 2002. 1:12 PM, Washington, D.C.
    Jack sat opposite the General. It was a quiet spot to meet and talk.
    After all, it wasn't every day you got to have a peaceful conversation
    in the White House. "Well, Jack, what do you think?" General Peterson
    asked. "Hrm...?" "Of the room?" he asked again. Jack looked it over...
    for the ninth time. White walls, blue carpet. He could see why it was
    called the _Blue Room_.
    "Nicer than my room, I'll give it that," he said.
    Circumstances for today were unusual, Jack knew that. President Bush
    was nowhere to be found. And it wasn't just anyone who could use the
    White House for private entertaining while the head man was away. Only
    General Robert Peterson could get that privilege. Besides, aside from
    one Secret Service and one NSA agent by the door, it was just the two
    of them.
    "You don't get out much, do you, Jack?" he asked. Jack replied, "Not
    particularly..." The General sat his coffee down. "Well, you have a
    nearby town in Arizona, and you can fly anywhere. Just let me know...
    no friends either, I assume?" "Nope," Jack answered. General Peterson
    sipped his coffee and sat the cup back down. He waited for Jack to finish
    his bottled water before speaking again.
    "No girlfriend, either," the General said. "No time. Last thing I need
    is another responsibility, or someone worrying about me when I'm on a
    job. Besides, maybe I'm happy with the quiet. I'll keep to myself for
    now. Way it's always been, and the way it's gonna stay for now..."
    "Well, you'll meet someone, someday," he replied. "Just when you do,
    never let go. And if she'll become... the way you are, then let her.
    Otherwise, you end up losing it all in one fell swoop when your back is
    turned. So, you want to see anything in particular while in the city?" he
    asked. "Hadn't given it much thought... aren't we overdue for another job?"
    "Not particularly. Nothing major is happening right now. Nothing the
    established agencies can't handle just fine, anyway. Besides, the less
    you act, the better for public image. It helps that..... your physical
    descriptions were altered in the media. But the less you work, the less
    attention will be drawn," he explained. Jack stuffed the empty bottle
    in his inner coat pocket.
    "And," General Peterson continued, "Cletus wanted some time off too.
    Plus I imagine you could use the rest as well..."
    General Peterson was thankful Jack had no recollection of the incident
    with the drugs recently. But letting Jack sit around was not good, either
    way. Besides, Jack was closer to him than his own children were. Jack also
    reminded him of Jacob. If only he hadn't sent Jacob into that phony town
    to take out Keegan Voorhees.
    "Okay, General... where to?" Jack asked. "Fort Meade isn't too far
    from here... my son Arnold is there, I think we may stop in and see him.
    1:56 PM, Fort George G. Meade
    The men marched. Standard exercises for today. Not too hot today,
    thankfully. At least for the troops marching along the road. They did
    this often, along the outskirts of the area. Five miles. A lot for the
    average man, but for those in training, especially with new regulations
    passed since last year... all thanks to Osama bin Laden. Carnage played
    his part, as well. With new threats, came more preparation. And while
    THAT threat was sealed away, with even the hint it could happen, the
    human armies had to be prepared for anything. Human or not.
    But it could get hard. Especially for one Private. His name is unimportant,
    but his condition is a matter of attention. He's been marching on a bad
    ankle. And it got too much. Not good news for the Sergeant in charge.
    Sergeant Arnold Peterson. Drill Sergeant. "Get to your feet, we have three
    more miles to go!" he shouted.
    "I can't... I think it's broken."
    "I don't have time for _COMPLAINTS!_ You'll whine when I say you
    can! Now **MOVE IT!**" he screamed.
    He was about to give up and drag the man to his feet when he saw
    the rest of the line stop and raise their arms in a salute. He turned
    to see the reason. General Peterson didn't stop. He passed his son and
    looked down at the injured man. "Just hold on," he said. "You two, get
    him back to the base. And be careful with him!"
    The two men complied. As they lifted him up, the General spun and walked
    over to the Sergeant. Before either could say a word, the General grabbed
    his son by his shirt and pulled him away. General Peterson looked his son
    over- short hair, thin face. Not a tall man, but not short. Rather
    muscular, but not terribly big. "Just what the HELL is wrong with you?"
    "They need to learn to-" He shut up as his father punched him in the
    jaw. "YOU... that is not how a superior officer treats men under his
    command!" He rubbed his face, hoping to cut down on the sting. "I'm just
    trying to follow your example. We need to be strict or they won't learn,"
    he replied. "My example," the General shouted. "**MY EXAMPLE!** I never
    mistreated anyone. You will treat people with respect and as how you would
    want them to treat you! You're following your own example, and trying to
    blame someone else when you're found out to be wrong!"
    "Dad, I-" "You will refer to me as **GENERAL**!" General Peterson pulled
    his sunglasses off. "And if I EVER find out about you mistreating ANYONE
    like that again... you will be in Leavenworth so fast your head will SPIN!
    I am going back to my transport. And I will be letting the Colonel in charge
    know what you did. Now, you will go back to those men and finish the march.
    And you had better not screw up. Because I will find out. The Army doesn't
    need a hothead like you. No one else on this base is like you... thank God
    for that!"
    The General turned and marched back to his Jeep. His son just stood there.
    2:05 PM
    The door to the limo opened. "My son is... busy. You'll have to meet him
    another time," he explained. "Okay. I just wanna see a few sights, then
    go home," Jack replied. "Sure. Vietnam Memorial a good place to start?"
    5:34 PM
    The plane headed back to Phoenix. Jack had seen all the major sights,
    and he didn't feel like hanging around longer than necessary. Neither did
    the General. He had work to do, which he probably should have been doing.
    But sitting around meetings all day wasn't his idea of fun... no matter
    how necessary they were. And he had no desire to listen to the captured
    Screelak threaten him, which he'd have to endure when he checked all the
    lab reports on the bodies that were analyzed.
    "...I hate that Screelak..." Jack looked up. "Say what?" he asked. "Oh,
    nothing," the General replied. "Just thinking. So, enjoy the day?" Jack
    replied, "Yeah, pretty much. Cletus wasn't here, either. Quiet.." General
    Peterson removed his hat and sat it in the empty seat next to him.
    "Cletus has his own way. He's been through a lot, and he needs to adjust.
    Give him time."
    "He's fairly bright," Jack said. "I give him a lot more credit than I
    did back when he was a guy in the news. Never would have expected him
    to come to _ME_ for help." The General shot back, "I imagine it
    shocked him..." "Probably... he doesn't talk about his past much. He's
    kept a lot buried. Aside from him telling me about the... well, the
    _ORIGINAL_ **Maximum Carnage** team, I guess you'd say."
    General Peterson asked, "You mean...?" "Carnage, Shriek, Demogoblin,
    Carrion, and a six-armed monster," Jack answered. "Shriek is the only
    one left. She's stuffed in the remains of Ravencroft. Carrion...well,
    he's cured. The other 2 are dead. Carnage... well, he's not going
    anywhere!"
    "I wonder how they'd fare against you two?" General Peterson asked.
    "Oh, I've thought about it. Carnage, well, we took him out. Shriek...
    she'd goof and walk right into the line of fire. And her mutant power
    isn't much. I survived Shocker, I can survive her. 'Bout the same, really.
    Doppelganger... idiot. Throw him an explosive. Demogoblin....heard he has
    a good streak. Carrion has a one track mind. He's slow, too. Moving
    target. At least, that's what Cletus says."
    "Well... let's just sit back and relax," the General suggested. Jack
    replied, "Sounds like a plan!"
    They remained silent for the rest of the flight. He hated seeing Jack
    take pills to avoid a situation, but it wasn't his place to interfere.
    He missed Jacob. His remaining children were lost to him. In protecting
    the country, he ruined his family. _'Jack... get a family and leave this
    business behind! Meet a nice girl, be happy. Stop lying to yourself. Don't
    do what I did!'_
    But he didn't say it. He knew Jack would only get angry with him. And no
    matter how powerful he was, how much influence he had. an immortal was not
    someone he wanted to cross. Maybe being immortal altered your view of life.
    Humans become lesser creatures on the evolutionary scale. But Robert
    Peterson would have noting to do with it. The inner pain must be unbearable
    at times. Suddenly, he didn't blame Jack for taking the pills. He didn't
    blame Jack for anything. It was his way of life, and any change would be
    his choice. Nothing less.
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	23. Back Home


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 22: Back Home
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Sunday, April 28th, 2002. 3:00 PM, Queens
    Cletus walked through the front area of the airport. La Guardia, to
    be exact. He had enjoyed a nice flight on a private jet courtesy of his
    employer, but he wanted to be on his own while he was here. It had been
    a long time, but he was back. Home. New York. Arizona was nice, but they
    were in a desert. Besides, he wanted to give Jack some peace. And he
    needed it himself.
    He made his way through the crowd, managing to hold onto his bags as
    he pushed through. Crowded as ever. He was too busy looking downward
    at the mass of feet to notice the man in front of him. At least, until
    they collided. He looked up to see who had blocked him. "**_PARKER?_**"
    He couldn't believe it. Spider-Man. Of all the people in the city, let
    alone the airport, he had to run into Spider-Man.
    "...Cletus? But... I thought you left?" Parker asked, rather surprised.
    Cletus looked around as he picked up his bags. "Tell you what. Let's
    get out of here before we catch up on old times!"
    3:17 PM, Manhattan
    They sat a small table in a local diner. Cletus had not planned on
    meeting any old friends while in town, but since he had, he may as
    well engage in a conversation. "Any reason you came back?" Peter asked.
    Cletus put down his coffee. "None in particular. I just wanted to see
    the old home once more. Hadn't planned on staying long." "Oh," Parker
    said. "Been up to anything in particular?"
    "Not really. Just moving from small job to job... state to state."
    Cletus finished his coffee. He could tell Parker was interested in
    something. "No, we hasn't been active," he said. "Oh... I'd heard about
    it, but the two men were different. Speaking of which, whatever happened
    to the other guy?" Parker asked.
    "Jack? We work together, mowing lawns. Not much of a friendship
    anymore, though... We kind of live in different worlds, I guess."
    Parker looked around. There were a few people in the diner with them.
    "We should continue this somewhere else. You have anywhere to stay?"
    "Huh... no. I was going to get a motel or somethin'," Cletus replied.
    "Listen, I have plenty of room-" "No!" he shouted. Calming down, he said,
    "I can find a place." "Mary Jane knows you've changed. I don't think
    she'll have a problem with it." "Well... why not? But if she isn't
    okay with it, I'm leaving!"
    Peter waved for the waitress. Both reached for their money. Cletus
    looked the bill over to see only Parker's coffee on the list. "Oh,
    we had two coffees," he said. "Yeah, but you're not being charged for
    yours. I can't charge a national hero!" Cletus looked down from the
    waitress to Parker. He mouthed the words. Parker winced. He had hoped
    Cletus would have found up by now. "You still have that clipping on
    the wall, don't you, Jane?"
    She pointed to the wall by the door. A framed newspaper clipping hung
    on the wall. Cletus walked over and read it. "_**Carnage Captured!**...
    Cletus Kasady, once reported to have actually been the symbiotic killer,
    was actually working for the government to hunt the alien and incarcerate
    it. This reporter apologizes for not checking the sources, even if they
    were his own eyes. Story by **Peter Parker**_"
    Cletus looked up at Parker. "That son of a bitch. Who told you to write
    this?"
    3:39 PM, Parker residence
    Mary Jane looked out the window at the man standing on the sidewalk. She
    didn't know what to think, let alone say. Was she about to let this man
    in her house? He had tried to kill her husband many times. But he had
    also saved the lives of many when he defeated his alter ego. Besides, it
    wasn't HIS idea. It was her husband's idea. And if he was willing to
    trust the man, then maybe she should. "Peter... tell him to come in."
    Parker walked to the door and opened it. Cletus stood with his back
    to the house, his luggage resting on the concrete. "Cletus, come on,"
    he shouted.
    He picked up his stuff and slowly walked up to the house. He stepped
    inside as if he were entering a trap- very wary of what may happen. But
    it was all emotional. And he knew he had to do this. Mary Jane managed a
    slight smile, hoping to ease his nerves. "C...come in," she said, shyly.
    Cletus simply looked around. Spider-Man was doing rather well for being
    a reporter. Certainly nicer than he was used to on his own. Not counting
    the fact his current residence was government supplied. "Listen, maybe I
    should find another place. I can't put you out," he said. Parker replied,
    "It's no trouble. Come on." He made his way inside the room and set his
    stuff down. "Mary Jane, why don't you order some dinner for us. Cletus,
    anything you want?" Parker asked.
    "Huh?... oh, well, anything is fine," he answered. She walked off to
    leave the two alone to talk. "Listen, your business as Spider-Man is
    none of my concern," Kasady spouted. "Well... you have to be a little
    curious." Cletus shoved his hands in his pockets. He wanted to know **EVERYTHING**.
    How Spider-Man worked, what actual powers he had, everything. And it
    was eating at him. "Okay, you shoot webs from your wrists, or is it
    some gimmick? Wait, never mind! I need to know about that article!"
    Parker hoped to avoid that topic. But he had no choice. "Some
    government guy wanted us to publish that. My name was tacked on to
    make it look real!" Cletus wished he could tell Parker the absolute
    truth, but figured it best not to. "Yeah. I guess they wanted me to
    lead a normal life after helping stop him. No one has really bugged
    me. I think most have forgotten by now. No... it's time you knew what
    happened."
    5:12 PM
    Parker was still trying to take it all in. Immortality drug,
    experiments, kidnapping, followed only by an evil entity which had
    controlled the man most of his life! And it almost wiped out humanity.
    If not for Cletus and the new guy mopping the floor with him.
    Cletus made sense to him now. The withdrawn man afraid to interfere
    with the demons of his past. Willing to step on anything that was
    Carnage. Better yet, deny it happened. And he was immortal. He did it
    to stop a mad man. He wanted to die, but he became the way he was for
    the rest of the world. And he was paying for it in mental suffering.
    His train of thought was broken though when Cletus entered the room.
    "Feeling okay? I mean, you get all of it?" he asked. "Yeah," Parker
    said. "I believe it, but I just don't _BELIEVE IT!_" "Neither do I.
    But it happened, and no way to change that. Anyway, I'm going to a movie."
    He watched as Cletus opened the door and left. Mary Jane walked in and
    sat down on the couch beside him. "I heard his story through the doorway,"
    she said. "You think he's changed permanently?" Parker looked at his wife.
    "Forever is a long time when you can't die. But he's not the same man he
    used to be."
    Monday, April 29th. 3:02 PM
    "Well, thanks for your hospitality. I give you a lot of credit for
    having faith in me." "It's no problem," Peter replied. Cletus said,
    "Right. Well, if you ever need me for anything, just pass the word along.
    I'm sure someone will deliver it." A horn soudned outside. "My cab." He
    grabbed his bags and left the house. Parker closed the door behind him.
    "Mary Jane... he's going to do just fine. I just hope his friend can
    get over his problems."
    Mary Jane didn't say a word. She simply nodded in agreement. She
    noticed an envelope on the floor. Picking it up, she pulled a few small
    pieces of paper. It was money. "Peter... there must be at least five
    thousand here!" she shouted. Parker's eyes widened. He knew Cletus had
    left it behind. Opening the door to yell out for him, he saw the cab was
    already gone. "I don't believe it. But....where'd he get that much money?"
    Tuesday, April 30th. 10:01 AM, Phoenix. Basement labs
    "...yes, General. Okay... no, I didn't expect THAT to be sent here...
    but I will get preparations underway for storage... right..." He nearly
    fainted as he saw General Peterson enter the room. "...yes, General...
    I have to go prepare for storage. right....bye!" He was stunned. General
    Peterson saw the look on the man's face. "Dr. Bartley, is something
    wrong?" he asked.
    "General Peterson? But.. how could you be here... when I just got off
    the phone with you, after you entered the room?" Before he could reply,
    he looked over at the Screelak in its holding cell. It wasn't trying to
    break the lexan wall any more. It just stared at them. "Dr. Bartley,"
    he said, "this is important... what did 'I' say? And no, it was not me..."
    "Well, they said to expect... expect delivery of..." he hesitated. "Of
    what? This is important!" the General screamed. The General's pulse was
    racing. "General... the Carnage symbiote will be entering the state
    within an hour!"
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	24. Warzone


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 23: Warzone
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Tuesday, April 30th, 2002. 10:24 AM, Phoenix
    "All right. All we know is somehow, someone or some... THING... has
    managed to supply orders to have Carnage transported into this state.
    And I know that was not me. But whatever it was convinced everyone it
    **WAS** me giving the orders. All we know is an unmarked semi has been
    used for transport."
    General Peterson stopped his briefing for a second to catch his
    breath. The situation was bad. He watched as the techs hooked up the
    cables. No way would he get Maximum Carnage into Phoenix in half an
    hour. A video conference would have to do. He eyed the NSA agents in
    the room.
    "We have no idea which truck was used or where it is," he continued.
    "We know Screelaks can take human disguise, so we can either assume
    the truck is being driven by them, or the truck will be ambushed. We
    must try to intercept the truck before that happens... is that almost
    ready?"
    The techs backed away from the set and turned it on. The picture
    focused in. Cletus picked up a microphone. "Can you hear us?" General
    Peterson asked. Cletus replied, "Just fine!" "Okay... you say Carnage
    is entering the state soon, in an unmarked truck. And somehow, orders
    were faked to get him across country?" Jack asked.
    "That's right. We suspect Screelaks, possibly something else," he
    replied. "Listen, when we captured that one, it said they use a spell
    to mimic a particular human. Maybe..." Cletus slapped his hand over
    his face. "...I forgot. I saw another you! A few nights ago. You passed
    me and threatened me. Then I turn, and you're talking to a few people..."
    "That would have been good to know a little sooner, Cletus," Jack
    scolded. General Peterson removed his hat. It suddenly made sense.
    "All right. From now on, my location will be made known to all involved.
    If I'm seen somewhere else, it is to be reported and the imposter
    captured," he ordered. Jack left the room. Cletus moved closer to the
    camera.
    "What do we do?" General Peterson placed his hat back on his head.
    The tension was wearing away at him. "For now... you wait."
    11:23 AM, Interstate 40, due south of Dinosaur Caverns
    It was a mess. the semi had been toppled on it's side, the drivers
    ripped from the cab and torn apart. The back end of the trailer was
    ripped open like tissue paper. Broken glass littered the inside. The
    remains of the VCU, almost indestructible. But somehow, they smashed
    it open. No signs of the symbiote anywhere. The road had been blocked
    off, but that made no difference. Carnage was free.
    "General, this is Agent Leroys. Do you read?" "I'm here," the answer
    came over the radio. "Bad news. The truck was attacked, like we had
    expected. It's totaled. The VCU is also smashed. Carnage has escaped."
    "Understood."
    10:27 PM, Maximum Carnage residence
    Cletus loaded another clip into the AK-47. They had been doing this
    all day. The government trucked several weapons in. Explosives as well.
    Grenades, remote detonators, even a few smaller versions of the area
    detonation devices. Carnage hadn't been seen yet. The only sign of him
    being here was the fact his transport truck had been torn apart. Not far
    south of their location. And presumably with a pack of Screelaks as well.
    The thoughts flooded his head. All he had tried to escape, tried to
    forget, was soon to come back. Domientius, the Dark God, was irrelevant.
    The name pierced his brain- Carnage. It was his evil side. The one that
    was out for most of his life. And when he thought he had changed, his
    evil side simply separated from him. When he thought he had killed it,
    it came back stronger than ever. And now... when he had LOCKED IT AWAY...
    it escaped. And worse... would all he had done be erased?
    "Cletus!"
    He looked up from the pile of bullets on the couch to see Jack standing
    above him. "Hey... you with it?" he asked. "Yeah... Jack, these are
    loaded." "Good. I'm taking them to the car," he replied.
    Jack picked up a handful of loaded clips and walked out the front door
    with them. Cletus had to give Jack credit- where he was deeply afraid to
    face Carnage, Jack welcomed it. Jack was the kind who lived to take on
    evil. He was one of the heroes who wanted an excuse to fire a gun, too.
    "Hey!" He looked up again. "Where's that bag of grenades?" Jack asked.
    "Sitting on my bed. I'll go get 'em," Cletus said. "Okay. I'm taking the
    rest of these clips out."
    Jack carried the rest of the ammo outside. Reaching his room, he found
    the bag. Filled with live hand grenades. Picking it up, he walked out.
    But he could feel a set of eyes upon him. Behind him. "...Jack?"
    "NO...."
    The voice was deep, inhuman. Unfamiliar. But familiar at the same time.
    He slowly turned. The shape was barely visible in the darkness. But he
    could make it out. Large. Eight feet, maybe. Built heavily. Reminded him
    of the Hulk. Not near the bulk, but muscular. No body fat, all muscle.
    Some sort of suit on, with boots. The hands had spikes coming back off
    the fingers. Gloves, maybe.
    The shape moved closer, step by step. Cletus was too frightened to
    move. Part of it was the fact he didn't know what this was. Carnage
    was only about his size. "Cletus, what the hell is keeping you?" He
    could hear the footsteps behind him, coming up the stairs. It was Jack.
    "And dammit, turns some lights on!"
    Jack flipped the hall light on. The creature came into full view.
    Solid red, black swirls and highlights all over the body. Two large,
    white eyes. A mouth of exposed, sharp teeth, in an almost emotionless
    expression. It was Carnage. "Ohhhhhhh, shit!"
    Jack snuck up beside his partner. He reached in the bag and took out one
    of the explosives. "Cletus... go." "JACK..."
    **_"GO!"_**
    Cletus ran off as Jack pulled the pin and threw the grenade. It flew
    right down Carnage's throat. Jack ducked in his room and slammed the door
    as the explosion decimated the creature's head. _'...he ain't done yet.
    Think!'_
    Jack ran to the closet and pulled the gun and sword out. Stuffing the
    sword in his belt, he ran to his drawers. Opening the small top drawer,
    he grabbed the book and pendant, shoving them in his pockets, along with
    a wrapped cloth, just as his door was torn down by a large axe blade. It
    was Carnage, head intact. **"MY ARTIFACTS! NOW!"** he shouted.
    Jack reached in his pocket and produced the small gray Zippo lighter
    which he often carried with him. Carnage simply smirked as he flipped the
    top open. "If you think that trick will work again, you can forget it!"
    Jack could hear gunshots from downstairs. He could only guess how many
    Screelaks were crawling around. He reached down with his right hand,
    behind the edge of his dresser for a Molotov cocktail as he lit the
    lighter with his other hand. "Oh, no, Carnage..."
    Lighting the rag sticking from the end, he tossed the bottle forward.
    The glass shattered upon hitting the Dark God, spraying flaming liquid
    everywhere. Jack deflected what hit him. He bolted forward, wrestling
    his shotgun up, enough to hit Carnage with a shell as he ran past. It
    was enough for him to get out of the room. As he reached the stairs,
    he skidded to a dead stop. A Screelak blocked his way. Hunched over
    as usual, the thin yellow eyes stared at him.
    He pumped the slide and let the pellets fly. They took the thing in
    the shoulder. The bits of skin and hardened body shell flew off as a
    thick black blood ran out. The creature seemed to take little notice.
    But it did notice the next two shots, as they took the creature out,
    its last words sounding off in feverish hisses.
    Jack made his way down the steps. The front door was closed. Moving
    to the front window, he could see at least ten of the things outside.
    The gunfire still echoed in the back of the house. Looking around,
    Jack saw a few weapons laying on the couch. Two MP-5 submachine guns.
    Pumping the slide of his shotgun, he holstered it beside the sword
    and took the two weapons.
    Reaching the small back inner porch, he saw Cletus held down by two
    of the large creatures, both bleeding from small arms fire but still
    very active. A Krylakk was walking towards him. Jack rose both weapons
    and tapped their barrels against their backs. He opened fire. The
    bullets shredded their skulls in seconds. He dropped the Krylakk as
    soon as the Screelaks fell dead.
    10:38, Phoenix
    General Peterson stood with the two scientists. They were looking
    over old reports on the studies performed on the Screelak remains.
    He didn't look up as the door to the room opened. But the dead silence
    that suddenly filled the room caused him to turn away from the reports.
    He looked up to see a mirror image of himself.
    "Well, General Peterson, so glad of you to _JOIN US!_" The last
    words were in an inhuman voice. The General, reaching for his own
    weapon, fired several shots into the creature. "Oh, really. You think
    that will be enough? No wonder Domientius hates you disgusting
    creatures!" the Screelak insulted.
    He reached with his left hand to his forehead. Grabbing the hair,
    he pulled downward. The skin peeled off. Underneath was a large
    yellow eye, and a sick reddish-brown skin. It was the features of
    the same monster in the large cell, but compressed. The General kept
    his weapon forward. But no one moved. Except for one man, sneaking
    up on the thing.
    But it failed. Quiet as the agent was, careful as he was, the thing
    turned its head. Before he could fire, the creature opened its mouth,
    wide enough to take a solid bite into the man's skull. The long teeth
    pierced brain and jaw. The man had no time to scream. His head was
    torn off before he had a chance. General Peterson stared on with anger.
    This thing had DARED to impersonate him, DARED to release Carnage,
    and now was eating his men.
    **_"SHOOT THE FUCKING THING!"_** he screamed as he again opened
    fire. The bullets shredded the half human creature as if it were made of
    tissue paper. It let out a few incoherent screams as it writhed in pain
    and finally died. He dropped his own gun as he looked at the fallen
    corpse.
    10:41, Maximum Carnage house
    Jack and Cletus made their way around the house, firing at Screelaks
    as they went. It was not easy. Cletus had broken ribs, and needed help
    walking. Jack had trouble aiming. And these things were everywhere. The
    northwestern corner of Arizona had become a wild orgy of unholy warriors,
    hungry for human blood. Not to mention the Krylakks were hard to see
    in the dark.
    As they made their way to the front corner, a shadow blocked the
    light from the upper window. Jack stopped in time to miss the shower
    of glass as the thing jumped down. It was Carnage. **"GIVE ME THE ARTIFACTS
    NOW! I MAY SPARE YOU!"** he shouted, as if he expected them to actually
    comply. Jack tried to run, but the Screelaks surrounded them. "Leeeee...
    leave... me..."
    The faint words from his friend did not ease his mind. Jack was not
    about to leave Cletus here to die. Or at least, an eternity of immortal
    torture. He was also not about to let Carnage have the artifacts. But
    he had exhausted his MP-5 ammunition, and only had three shells loaded.
    He pumped the slide, simply saying, "Cletus, we fight to the end on
    this one."
    Before Jack could fire, something began grabbing Screelaks and pulling
    them away. "You are not taking those atrifacts!" Carnage was looking
    right in the eyes of one he thought he would never see again. A creature
    that rivaled him in size and shape. The solid black form blended in with
    the night, the large white eyes and strange chest emblem standing out.
    The large teeth and flicking tongue only served to finish the picture.
    **"VENOM?"**
    "YES, _CARNAGE_!" Carnage had no time to react as the symbiotic
    hero tore through his army and headed straight for him. Carnage found it
    hard to believe a mere human version of himself could be so powerful.
    Venom slammed his fists into the thing's face. Carnage barely flinched.
    **"PATHETIC!"** Carnage lifted his right arm, forming his hand into
    a blade. But he never got to use it. Venom tore the arm off. Jack, not
    stopping to drag Cletus away, watched the poor fighting skills Carnage
    displayed. He thought it all over. _'I knew it. Domientius isn't used
    to working that body.'_ Being in the clear, he shouted, "BROCK! Leave
    him and come on!"
    Landing one final blow, Venom leapt out of the way, using a Screelak
    as a boost, crushing its neck in the process. He headed towards Jack.
    They began to run. Carnage, recovering from his beating, saw an
    opportunity. The sword hung down from Jack's belt. And the man was
    standing still, trying to open his car door. Venom had stuffed Cletus
    in the back seat and crawled in the passenger's side. Before Jack took
    his seat, however, he reached in his coat and pulled out a small
    remote device.
    Domientius didn't have a chance to grab the sword. Before the tendril
    could reach, Jack flipped up a cover and hit the switch. The patch of
    ground on the western face of the house was destroyed in a cloud of
    flame and dust. The Screelaks caught in the blast were killed. Carnage
    was too close to the house to catch any of the blast, though. Nor did
    he seem to care his troops were dead.
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	25. Double Team


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 24: Double Team
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Wednesday, May 1st, 2002. 10:24 PM, New York
    It was the remains of an era. An era that was Carnage, an earlier
    time. It was his home. The animal's cage. The days even before the
    budget cuts. The days when Carnage was a bonding of man and alien.
    The days Cletus now worked to remove himself from. The remains stood.
    Call them what you will, but they had one name- Ravencroft. It was a
    shell of the old days. No longer an active home to the insane, a place
    to cure. They had built other locations for that. But it stood. A
    place for the damned. The incurable. Those even worse than Carnage, in
    their own minds.
    And she sat in the dark cell, the mold growing on the walls her only
    company.
    The guard walked down the hall, tired from his shift. Though even if
    he had been awake, he still may not have noticed the spike coming through
    the crack in the wall. The wall gave way slightly. Enough for the point
    to pass through. Red liquid poured in and took shape, holding the rocks
    so as not to make the slightest noise. The creature, formed to its
    fullest, looked around. _'...yes.... familiar'_
    It thought quietly, as it had plans. The guard had his back to the
    thing, as he continued his march. It slowly stepped up behind him, moving
    the twenty or so feet without a sound. There was also no sound as it shot
    a spike through the man's neck, the blob covering his mouth to muffle
    the scream. It stepped up to the cell. Sticking its hand on the lock, it
    made it's way inside with the amorphous form, unlocking the solid steel
    door. She lay on the floor.
    "Shriek." She looked up but said nothing. "I need your help, Shriek..."
    Before she could even move, Domientius wrapped her in a layer of symbiotic
    material, preventing her from moving or making even a sound. Grabbing her,
    he returned to the hole he had crawled through. "Roberts to Jameson-
    CARNAGE HAS BROKEN INTO THE PREMISES!" the voice shouted nearby.
    The guard threw the radio down as he and the others rose their weapons.
    The order came through: "- Open fire! LETHAL FORCE!" The guns went off,
    bullets tearing into the eight foot frame. Carnage didn't even react. He
    simply placed his left hand on the wall. The trail crept along the brick
    lining, reaching the guards. The spike which shot out pierced two. The
    third ran off. Carnage dropped them and left the building.
    10:48 PM
    Colonel Jameson was trying to calm the poor man down. It had been
    Carnage, all right. Shriek was now missing. But hadn't Carnage been
    locked away, separate from Cletus? It had to be Carnage, in some form.
    They shot him and he didn't flinch. Not to mention his height. He turned
    as the door opened. His eyes widened as he saw who entered. "Cletus?"
    "Jameson.... no time for introductions. What happened?" Cletus demanded.
    He ignored Jack entering the room and picked the report up from the
    console. He handed it to the former prisoner. "Let's see... he took
    Shriek. Jack, we'd better go. Jameson, call doc Kafka. DON'T call the
    police! We'll do that!" he shouted.
    10:56 PM
    Cletus shoved the coins in the phone, not taking the time to count
    change. He hit the numbers as he looked in the phone book. The line
    picked up. "- Parker residence" the voice answered. It was a woman's
    voice. Mary Jane. "I need Peter on the line now!" "- who is this?
    Cletus? That you?" a second voice said.
    "Yeah, Parker. Listen, did Venom contact you?" Cletus asked. "-
    He's here now. You need to-"
    "No time. Listen, Carnage busted Shriek out! I need you and Eddie
    on standby. DON'T move unless we need you to! We've alerted the
    authorities. I have to go." He hung up without waiting for a reply.
    He ran back to the car and jumped in. "Parker's alerted. So's Venom...."
    "Okay, where next?" Jack demanded. Cletus replied, "Damned if I know...
    wish I didn't have to put doc Kafka on alert, but I'd feel better with
    her in charge on a matter like this as far as local stuff is concerned."
    10:58 PM
    Carnage sat her down in a barren area in the woods. He had traveled
    far enough from the asylum. He wouldn't free her just yet. She'd either
    run, or fight back. Then he'd have to kill her. And he was going to
    need her help. The Screelaks were pure muscle, but too stupid to fight
    back effectively. He'd need someone stupid enough to follow his orders,
    but intelligent enough to fight back effectively.
    "Cletus Kasady has become a hero. A vigilante. My name is Domientius,
    the symbiote is now mine. We are Carnage. Cletus will most likely come
    after you after he has defeated me. He tried to kill you once before,
    now he'll try again because he considers you a disease to all the good
    and innocent people of this planet. There are no good people, no
    innocent people. Help me stop Cletus Kasady."
    He was playing on her emotions. Altering the truth well enough so that
    she may actually believe him and willingly accept his offer. He tore
    the symbiotic wrap free from her face. "Do you accept my offer?"
    Thursday, May 2nd. 1:06 PM
    They had left a bloody trail across the city. Property damage, a few
    bodies, some fires.... the name _Maximum Carnage_ spread around town
    with Carnage leading a killing spree. It was enough to make Jack hit
    the gas across town. The trail led to the docks along Manhattan. It was
    a trap. Both of them knew it. Stopping at the end of the trail, both men
    gathered as many weapons as they could. Shoot to kill. Venom joined them.
    "They in there?" Cletus asked. "YES! We saw them go in."
    Jack made his way to the nearest building. "Okay, Eddie.... where's
    Spider-Man?" "Helping the injured," he said. "Good. You stay here. We
    may need backup. And a Screelak could always stick their neck out, you never
    know."
    Cletus was surprised they weren't all over the city by now. There must
    not have been as many as they thought. He ran off to join his partner as
    Venom went back to his watch. They made their way around the buildings,
    watching and listening. The place had been abandoned. Probably cleared out
    when they heard of the approach. Assuming they weren't all dead. Jack
    shoved the door open. It squealed horribly from the rusted hinges. So much
    for sneaking in.
    The scene was a blur. A blade swung at them, Jack dodging as he returned
    fire. He couldn't tell if he'd hit anything. He couldn't find Cletus
    anywhere. The maze of wooden crates and massive containers made finding
    anything nearly impossible. Too many corners to turn, too many places for
    someone to hide.
    Gun shots in the distance let him know where Cletus was. This information
    was almost useless to him, however. Sonic bursts rained down on him from
    above. He ducked away down the maze. Shriek was following him.
    Cletus had his hands full trying to dodge Carnage. Tendrils flew at him,
    trying to slice him into hamburger. He returned fire from an Ingram M11.
    He was hitting Carnage, he knew. The gun fired at a massive rate, sending
    bullets in a spray. To not hit your target with this gun was nearly
    impossible.
    Jack was not having the same luck with his 12-gauge. Even if he could
    pinpoint a target, it was gone before he could even fire. And the spread
    of the shot, combined with the size of each pellet, made the shells
    nearly useless on a distant target. Hitting someone at that distance
    would do little good. He shoved the gun in his belt, reaching for a Desert
    Eagle. He hit the floor as a sonic burst took him in the back. The blast
    hadn't hurt much, but he was dazed. He could still hear the guns going
    off in the distance.
    He was turned onto his back. Shriek stood above him, keeping an eye
    on his every movement. Carnage had told her nothing about Jack, other
    than the fact he existed. And that she was to keep him occupied.
    Jack knew very little about Shriek. Just her powers and the fact she
    had worked with Carnage once before. He had seen only one picture of her.
    It was a standoff.
    She held his arms down. She was fairly strong. Jack could probably
    kick free, throwing his weight into his feet just enough to break free.
    But he'd probably be blasted before he could run. And he was starting
    to have doubts as to whether or not he could shoot her. Men seemed no
    real problem to him, he knew what went on in their minds. But women,
    he'd never had the occasion to. And Shriek played out as a classic
    case of victim conditioning. Did she even know what she was doing? Did
    he? Were these reasons the truth, or just an excuse? After all, despite
    the drugs in his system, he couldn't help but notice the skin tight
    black costume she wore, cut down showing off her cleavage. But it made
    little difference, after all, she probably wanted to kill him, and
    he'd have to figure out a plan to escape.
    Besides, she was working with Carnage. This was reason enough not to
    trust her. The wrapping may have been attractive, but he was more
    worried about what was packaged inside.
    Shriek looked him over. He was about her age, she guessed. She had no
    interest in the weapons he was packing, nor in the fighting in the
    distance. "You're Jack?" she asked. He didn't answer. She straddled
    his chest. He was going to have to try and kick free. As he prepared
    to throw his feet forward, he was stunned as shriek said, "You're cute!"
    1:17 PM
    Cletus was growing tired of the game he had been playing. Dodging
    blades as they swung for him had become old long ago. He loaded two
    of the Ingrams, looking for Carnage. He'd finish this now. He didn't
    care if he had to find a gas main and send this entire warehouse into
    orbit, he was going to end this now. He found Carnage rather quickly.
    Merely standing in place. He couldn't tell what was happening.
    Shriek had her arms around Jack. He could easily free himself, but
    not this close too Carnage. He was completely unarmed. "Can I keep
    him?" she asked. Jack muffled something, incoherent under Shriek's
    hand over his mouth. "Hmm... why not? I'll settle for Cletus Kasady's
    death, you may keep this one as a personal... slave, pet, whatever you
    wish. Now leave me alone!" Carnage shouted.
    Cletus opened fire. The bullets passed through Carnage, hitting
    solid wood. Shriek began to drag Jack away. He struggled, but she
    was stronger than he'd even expected. Besides, if he struggled too
    hard, he'd probably break her arms. And whatever his reasons, he
    couldn't bring himself to hurt her.
    Cletus kept firing, Carnage merely laughing off the attempt. He was
    silenced, however, as a sonic blast splattered the symbiotic mass he
    had been using as a head. It had not been Shriek, the blast had come
    from above. The shape dropped through the ceiling, onto the crates,
    and down to the floor.
    "Great. The Shocker" Cletus uttered under his breath. "I made a dea-"
    "Save it!" he shouted. He didn't want to hear the story now. Carnage
    had begun to seep through the cracks in the floor. Both men fired, shock
    vibrations and bullets catching the mass, but not enough to do any good.
    "Where's your partner?" Shocker asked. Shriek has already drug him
    away. "All right," Cletus said, "help me find them. Remember, this IS
    Shriek we're dealing with."
    Shriek had drug Jack to a far corner of the warehouse. He still
    tried to break free, but still resisted hurting her in the process.
    She finally pinned him against a wall. "Don't fight it. I don't know
    what he told you about me, but I'm not a bad girl. I'm just lonely."
    "You murdered a few people, too," he replied. "And you haven't? I've
    heard the news. It gets around."
    She had him on a technicality, and he knew it. The technicalities
    added up in his head rather fast. How long until she mentions that
    his partner used to be Carnage, responsible for hundreds of deaths?
    And that he always ignored that fact? And how many people had he shot?
    Probably unnecessarily? Without remorse, without feeling? True, she
    may have even enjoyed her murders, but he couldn't say that he had felt
    disgust every time he pulled the trigger. He had little right to bring
    up any of these issues, he was just as guilty. Even if she was saying
    it in a vain attempt at flirting with him.
    He was also becoming quite attracted to her. The confined space, not
    to mention the threat involved and his desire not to hurt her, plus
    the fact he had always dodged the issue of love were catching up to him.
    His brain was shouting a series of orders, to flee, to find Cletus, to
    get out of this nightmare, but he was not paying attention. He was
    listening to the small portion of himself that he'd never listened to
    before, telling him that he could run off with her.
    Why not? Deep down, it was something he wanted. "I knew it... I can
    see it in your eyes. You like the idea," she said. "I do like the idea,
    in a way..." The voice was almost not his own. At least, not the Jack
    Arden that ran the show all the time. "But you're a murderer." "Maybe I
    can quit, if you give me a reason to," she replied. The answer almost
    satisfied him. But his brain, and even this portion of himself, knew the
    answer wasn't quite good enough. But despite what his brain thought,
    the piece in control was content to let it be.
    She pressed against him. Her face drew towards his, and despite his
    brain somehow forcing him to pull back, their lips still met. Jack,
    after a few seconds, began to lean into it almost uncontrollably.
    Besides, she still had him pinned to the wall.
    "There!" The Shocker ran up from behind. Shriek broke the kiss, turning
    and firing at him. Shocker returned his own volley. the blasts were
    nearly the same thing, sonic vibrations coming from varied sources, but
    doing much the same thing. Jack, regaining his composure, ran. Cletus
    drew a pistol, firing at Shriek. A dart hit her shoulder. She dropped to
    the floor, asleep.
    "What took you so freaking LONG? Were you TRYING to take your time?" he
    scolded. "I'm completely unarmed here! Shocker?" Jack paused. The brain
    was once again in control. He'd forgotten about Shriek. "Where's Carnage?"
    2:10 PM
    The police covered the area, as did the military. Shriek had been
    strapped down to a stretcher, still unconscious. "Jack, what happened
    in there, anyway?" Cletus asked. "We'll discuss it in the car." He was
    not in the mood to discuss it at all, but knew Cletus would not let it
    drop. Jack turned to Spider-Man and Venom. "Okay, you two, get out there!
    Carnage is running loose. I want to know where he is! But don't approach
    him!"
    Parker nodded and ran off. "We will let you know!" Venom said, leaving
    for the rooftops. The Shocker stood beside a few prison guards. "Time we
    told you two. Shocker volunteered to help, on the grounds he turned
    himself back in when he was finished."
    "I get it," Cletus said. "He's still ticked off at Electro so bad, he'll
    help us just to spite the guy!"
    2:14 PM
    Jack drove down the busy street. The police, military, and others busy
    with the cleanup made traffic slow. He turned the radio off. "Okay, Cletus,
    let's clarify a few things. I didn't see any point in killing her. She's
    a confused woman, lied to all her life most likely. I see no reason to
    kill her for what Domientius did."
    "I know, but... I saw you! You were leaning into it, I know! I saw it,
    you like her!" "Of course not," Jack replied. "She's a killer. I don't
    care how hot- just... drop it! I'm not in the mood. Carnage is still out
    there."
    2:18 PM
    Domientius sat in the dark room below the warehouse. Just enough
    time to think. He was weakening. The effort in keeping the symbiote in
    this form required a lot of concentration, and that sonic burst the
    Shocker had dealt him had done far worse than it appeared. he symbiote
    needed blood, it needed to feed, and he wasn't feeding it. This body
    would soon be useless to him. The times had changed, he was no longer a
    threat to this planet. But he would fight this to the end. If Earth
    could not be his, he would at least go out with dignity. He would go out
    fighting.
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	26. Final Claim


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 25: Final Claim
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Monday, May 6th, 2002. 9:32 PM, New York
    Carnage pushed past the crowds. He was desperate. He was, after
    all, losing. The symbiote simply could not take the abuse. The effort
    needed to hold it in this shape was draining energy rapidly, and the
    effort required to heal it every time it was shot only drained him
    further.
    The car sped around the corner, nearly taking out two oncoming vehicles
    in the process. Domientius had few options. He ducked down the closest
    alley. The car stopped only seconds later. Carnage heard the rattle
    of something landing near him. The grenade went off, shrapnel tearing
    into him. Another went off, blasting a massive hole in the wall and
    sending him flying in the process.
    Jack now stood not too far away. He was dangling the pendant.
    "Want this?" Domientius knew he was being baited. Still, what choice
    did he have? Without the pendant, he would continue to weaken yet
    further. Jack saw the sparking wire hanging from the hole. Dropping the
    pendant, he grabbed the wire, careful to get ahold of the insulation.
    An idea had struck him. The wire touched the pendant, current flowing
    through it. Domientius screamed in pain, feeling the electricity
    through a spiritual bond he had with the chunk of metal.
    Jack drew a remote explosive from his pocket. Peeling the backing, he
    stuck it onto the pendant, shouting, "RUN!"
    The explosion was far too much for Domientius. He was forced out of
    the symbiote. The pendant landed at Jack's feet. Grabbing it, he
    watched. Domientius, barely visible, hovered in the air. He looked
    directly at the symbiote, still alive on the pavement below. He headed
    for it. Jack ran, reaching for another explosive.
    He tripped. A loose brick in his way sent the pendant flying out of
    his hand. It flew into Domientius's path. Before he could even reach
    the symbiote, he felt himself drawn inside. In desperation to possess
    the symbiote, he had inhabited the steel pendant his soul had been
    bonded with over a thousand years ago. The chunk of metal hit the ground.
    Cletus ran into the alley, hauling a VCU. He immediately sealed the
    symbiote inside. Jack took the pendant, shoving it in his pocket. The
    crowd had gathered around the alley. Cletus shoved the VCU in the
    trunk, while Jack tossed his weapons in the back.
    11:41 PM
    Jack sat on the steps of the apartment, police barricade still
    surrounding the place. The crowd had disappeared. Two officers remained,
    questioning Jack and Cletus. They refused to answer anything, for now.
    A large limousine pulled up, General Peterson exiting the rear. "You
    have Carnage in custody?" "Right here..." Cletus said as he pulled
    the Vacuum Containment Unit from the trunk of the small green Military
    Police car they had been traveling in. "Good. I'll take him with me,"
    General Peterson replied.
    "Take this one, too," Jack said, tossing the pendant towards him.
    "Domientius. Signed, sealed away forever, and delivered!"
    Tuesday, May 7th. 10:23 PM
    Cletus sat on an old roof, watching the city. He hadn't left the
    city since they'd finally put Carnage away the night before. He was
    waiting for someone. He didn't look awa as he heard them arrive.
    Spider-Man said, "We heard. Carnage is..."
    "But how?" Venom asked. "Simple, Venom... look down in the alley below.
    See all those scorch marks?" The two jumped to the other end of the
    rooftop. Looking down, they saw the blackened stains and debris. "We
    hadn't planned on it. Just coincidence. So... job's done. Carnage is in
    DC again. Nothing left to do, I guess."
    Venom had been effectively useless since arriving in the city, and he
    was growing impatient. "Good... Now, to **OTHER MATTERS!**" he shouted.
    "Spider-Man! You... if not for YOU, Ann would still be alive! Not to
    mention the countless other things you have done to me! **WE SHALL TEAR YOU
    AP-**" Venom heard a familiar click. Looking back, he saw Cletus pointing
    a pistol at him. "Sit _down_, Venom... I am not in the mood. You two
    can argue on your own time. In fact, while you're here, you get to listen to
    _ME!_ First, Venom, I'm sick of how you claim to be a protector but
    show little concern for others! You kill people as if it's **FUN! _WELL IT'S
    NOT!_** I've shot those who clearly **DESERVED IT!** ... but
    it's never fun... never easy... you look for other ways but it would take
    too long...
    "And you, Spider-Man... you can't see the real world for what it is!
    You're just like Doc Kafka! Everyone is good and can be redeemed! How
    many more times will Mysterio, Electro, Doc Ock, Scorpion, and the others
    have to break out and be locked up again before you realize some people
    can't be stopped with kind gestures? You can't just stop the Green
    Goblin, you have to try to cure him in the process! Well, some can be
    cured... I was, no thanks to you.... but some can't. Will Vulture ever
    give up? Tell me that..."
    The two heroes looked at him with wide eyes. Parker was shocked.
    "...who would have ever though Cletus Kasady would be the voice of truth
    between us?" "... he is right," Venom said. "I blame you... but sometimes,
    I'm as much at fault as you are. Ann may even be alive if I had acted
    more... human."
    10:41 PM
    Across town, Jack Arden sat in the head of the Statue of Liberty, looking
    at the sky. The city had gone back to normal. The world had gone back to
    normal. His entire career was reflected upon him. From those first minutes
    of running around those labs.... to being in another dimension... hired
    by the government, meeting legends, fighting more demons, all of it. His
    personal issues took a back seat to all of it. But it was over.
    Friday, May 10th. 5:10 PM
    Jack walked down the halls of the Pentagon. he had been helping out
    in the labs for the past three days, aiding in the experiments on
    Carnage and the artifacts. He was finding it to be a nice diversion
    to the stuff he was used to, even if he had no idea what he was doing.
    He passed Cletus in the hall. "Where ya going?" Jack asked.
    "Oh... I'm leaving." "Oh, that's- _LEAVING?_ Why?" Jack demanded. Cletus
    shifted his head around. He didn't want to make eye contact. "Yeah.
    Listen, I was walkin' back here tonight from the movies... and saw a man
    beating a kid in an alley. People just walked by... I had ta stop him.
    You'd think with this city crawling with police and military this shit
    wouldn't happen." "Oh... I understand. Have fun." Jack left. Cletus wondered
    if he was making the right decision.
    Wednesday, May 29th. Manhattan, 3:12 PM
    Jack was walking a quick pace down the hall. He'd been placed in an
    expensive hotel while he remained in the city. He still aided government
    scientists in their research on Carnage, though General Peterson left him
    plenty of time off, plenty of money.
    Reaching his room, he saw Cletus beside his door. "Hey, man!" "Jack,"
    Cletus said, "just came by to see if you'd be interested in doing a job
    for us. Doc Kafka needs some help with a patient." "I don't know. What
    kind of help?" he asked. "An interrogation," Cletus replied. "They've been
    having trouble, I figured you might have a chance with this one."
    Jack was growing suspicious. "Who?" Cletus answered, "...Shriek."
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


	27. Moving On


    
    
    
    Maximum Carnage
    Issue 26: Moving On
    by Justin Anderson
    
    
    
    Wednesday, May 29th, 2002. Manhattan, 3:15 PM
    "I'm busy..." Jack muttered, opening the door to his hotel room.
    "Besides, if she ain't talked by now, she won't." "Fine," Cletus said,
    "but Carnage may have told her something important, and if he did, we
    might need to know." Jack sighed. "Carnage is done with. Domientius is
    put away, the symbiote locked up... the Screelak they had died, they
    think the second Domientius was trapped. So-" Cletus was staring at him.
    "Okay, I'm going. Just long enough to get what they need..."
    "Good. By the way, they need me to take down some drug dealer. Heavily
    armed shit... you mind if I-" Jack grabbed his coat. He handed it to
    Cletus as he left. Jack closed the door, reaching for the bottle of
    triazomine.
    4:39 PM, Kafka Institution
    Jack looked through the two-way mirror. "She probably knows we're watching
    her. She can tune in to others' minds somehow. She doesn't have a strong
    ability to do this, but she has it," General Peterson said. Jack asked,
    "what's with the restraints?" "Those," he replied, pointing at the chains,
    "are to keep her from firing her sonic bursts. What do you know about her
    abilities?"
    "Not much." General Peterson flipped through the report. "She fires them
    from her vocal cords, but she needs her arms to direct the bursts. By
    keeping her hands behind her, she can't fire them. And being restrained,
    she can't focus her ability to increase the anger in those around her.
    But she still has the ability to affect the mood of anyone around her, she
    does it subconsciously. So stay focused. She generally projects anger, but
    may be able to channel other moods."
    Jack suddenly understood what had happened in the warehouse. Shriek had
    tapped into his mind, directed her mood into him. "Anything else I need
    to know?" he asked. "There is. She's highly unresponsive. She does not
    get along well with others. Cletus tried to interrogate her yesterday,
    it did NOT go well... we had to replace this mirror. Cletus threw the
    chair. Speaking of which, we bolted those down. We believe she made him
    do it somehow," the General replied.
    "Now then, we'll have the room locked, with guards outside, and well
    be watching. We can't hear what happens, the speaker was damaged in
    yesterday's incident. Did I mention she broke the chains? We had to get
    adamantium chains... Al Queda prisoners are easier to deal with and we
    get more out of them. Anyway, if she remains unresponsive, simply leave.
    Just knock on the door."
    The door opened, Jack stepping inside. She was looking away, disinterested.
    "All right, we'll make this quick. I have better things to do," Jack
    said, taking his seat. He flipped open the notepad in case he needed to
    write anything. Shriek ignored him. "Hello! Remember me? Guy from the
    warehouse!" She looked at him. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
    "From what I hear, you won't talk, and everyone else has given up.
    They just need to know if Carnage told you anything we might need to
    know. And I'm not putting up with any crap, I will walk out the second
    you decide not to talk. And don't pull any of that stuff you did at the
    warehouse! I know about your mental projection or whatever." "Oh, come
    on, you liked it!" she shouted. "You can reads minds now?" Jack said
    sarcastically.
    She shouted, "Please, you wanted it!" "ENOUGH!" Jack screamed out. "I
    came down here because someone thought you might decide to do the right
    thing and tell us what that monster may have said or done! I took time
    out of my day to come down here because someone thought you might decide
    to be a decent human being! Obviously someone thought wrong. I have
    better things to do."
    Jack headed for the door. "I'm sorry," Shriek said quietly. Jack turned
    his attention to her. She had slumped down, facing the table. He dropped
    the pad, stepping towards her. "I'm sorry too." He knocked on the mirror.
    The door opened, General Peterson waiting. "What the hell's going on in-"
    "Never mind," Jack said. "Just get me a chair."
    4:45 PM
    Jack sat beside her. She had begun to calm down. "Let's try this again.
    Okay? You all right?" She nodded. "Tell you what. If you cooperate, behave,
    promise to be good, I'll tell them to reward you somehow. That sound good?"
    "Yeah," she replied.
    5:02 PM
    "What's going on in there?" Dr. Kafka asked. General Peterson replied,
    "I'm not exactly sure, but it looks to be going well. She's calm and
    cooperative." He knocked on the mirror, grabbing Jack's attention. The door
    opened. "Is she reasonably calm? You think we could unchain her while
    you're in there?" Jack replied, "well, probably. I doubt she'd do anything.
    But I can't make any guarantees."
    He waved for a guard to enter the room. "They decided to unchain you while
    I'm here," Jack explained. The guard unlocked the cuffs, leaving them alone
    in the room. "What are you doing?" Dr. Kafka asked. "Just an experiment in
    therapy. Blind the mirror," he ordered. A shade was pulled down. "What is
    going on here?" she asked again. "I'm in charge with this one. Shriek was
    not your patient to begin with. A situation I want a full report on, I want
    to know why she was stuffed in that rotting asylum instead of under proper
    care."
    6:17 PM
    Jack handed the notepad to General Peterson. "Well, she didn't know anything
    we didn't, but she talked anyway." He examined what Jack had wrote. Three lines
    detailing nothing. "Jack, how does Shriek react with you?" "Rather calm. She
    doesn't act that way around others, does she?" he replied. "No, she doesn't,"
    the General answered. "What is it about you she likes?"
    Jack hesitated. "I have no idea." He was lying. "Well, considering her behavior
    with you, I may have an idea... would you be willing to continue meeting with
    her, for treatment?" he asked. "Well," Jack said, "possibly. What do you have
    in mind?"
    "I was thinking of having you meet with her one on one. No one watching, no
    one listening. No doctors. They don't seem to be helping her any," he explained.
    Jack considered the offer. "I'll let you know tomorrow. I'll have to think about
    it."
    8:19 PM, Jack's hotel room
    Jack considered the offer. It sounded reasonable, but General Peterson didn't
    know about Shriek's advances. Jack wondered himself what had really happened.
    Had he actually been attracted to her, or was it simply a reaction to her
    mental projections? This did not concern him, however. His true concern was
    his current feelings. He was starting to fall for her. Was it a reaction to her
    situation and desire to be treated fairly, or was he falling in love?
    8:31 PM
    "Cletus, take a seat," General Peterson offered. "How did that bust go today?"
    "Fairly well, I got 'em. That's not why I'm here though, is it?" he said. "No..."
    he repied. "Jack's interrogation of Shriek went well. Almost too well. I think
    there's something I need to know."
    "Right..." Cletus knew where this was headed. "The warehouse. I went after
    Carnage, he went after her. I saw her with her arms around him at one point,
    looked like she was holding him in place. Later, I found him locking lips with
    her. He denies any involvement, claiming she advanced him, but... Jack could
    probably take Shriek down, break any hold. He's strong enough. There could be
    something between them, even if it's one sided."
    "I thought so. Shriek's about his age, we believe maybe a year older. And,
    there's something I need to tell you about the triazomine he's been taking. It
    isn't working. In his body, with his ability to heal, the drug would last maybe
    half an hour. Probably less. And that would be when he began taking it. By now,
    it doesn't do anything. He's built an immunity to it," he explained. "But,"
    Cletus said, "something else about it. Jack didn't suffer any hallucinations
    from those two we fought in Vegas, and I didn't for some time, after being
    given one myself."
    The General thought, finally saying, "good point. The drug would stay in his
    system despite not doing anything, until metabolism flushed it out. Triazomine
    is still only available to the government, and has had very little testing
    done so far. side effects will take time to show. It's possible it somehow
    alters the way nerve impulses work while it's in the body, blocking his mind
    from outside tampering. I'm no scientist, it's just an idea."
    Thursday, May 30th. 3:12 PM
    Jack let them in the room. Two undercover guards, leading Shriek. She wore
    makeup, covering her face. It was the only way they could effectively sneak
    her in the building. "We'll be in a room downstairs, room 304. Call us if
    there are any problems. She's on an honor system here, if she tries anything,
    we have our orders," one of the guards explained. They unlocked her restraints,
    leaving the room. Jack locked the door.
    "Are you armed?" she asked. "Do I need to be?" "They had guns," she said.
    "Yes," Jack replied, "but you're still technically a criminal, and a patient.
    You don't plan on giving them a reason to use their guns, do you?" "No."
    "That's good. You can wash that stuff off if you want," he replied. She
    stepped into the bathroom, looking in the mirror. She paused. The makeup
    covered her face and neck, but it was enough to make her look normal. "I'll
    just look ugly again, why bother..." she muttered. "I wouldn't say that," Jack
    said. he was standing in the doorway. "You know, you don't have to be depressed
    all the time. Do you really want to keep killing, stay locked away in a cell
    the rest of your life to be forgotten? I know if someone like Cletus
    Kasady can change, there has to be a chance for everyone."
    He held out his hand. She took it. "There," he said. "I'll wash that off
    for you if you want." She nodded in agreement. Jack dampened a towel, gently
    scrubbing the makeup off her face. They had done a good job, the stuff
    looked like actual skin. He had it cleaned off in only a few minutes. It was
    the first time he had taken full notice of the black patch over her left
    eye. A four-pointed star.
    "Feeling better?" he asked. "Yes. So, what are we going to do?" she asked.
    "Well, basically whatever we want. We can't leave the room, though. You'll
    stay here until you decide to leave. We have full room service, cable, all
    expenses paid, since technically, I'm doing this as a job for the US Government."
    She stared at the tub. "I feel like taking a bath, actually. It's been
    years since I had one. Just showers..."
    4:51 PM
    She had been in the bathtub for some time. Jack decided to leave her alone,
    she could use the time to herself. He looked up as the bathroom door opened.
    She stood before him, wearing a towel. "I'm done," she said. She was half
    inviting him to join her. "I'm going to get dressed. Or not, depending on
    what you want to do later..." She was serious. Jack knew she would throw the
    towel off in an instant if she felt like it. "That's all right, actually. We
    can make our plans later. Besides, wouldn't want to ruin any surprises,
    would we?"
    "True," she said, closing the bathroom door.
    7:19 PM
    Room service carts sat by the door, empty plates stacked up waiting to be
    taken away whenever Jack called for room service. Shriek was curled up beside
    him. "What do you really think about me, Jack?" she asked. Jack had realized
    it was time he confessed, both to her and himself. "I... well, I like you.
    You're a beautiful woman." "That's not what I meant. Do I scare you?" Jack
    sighed. "No! You did at first. A criminal... combined with my own demons. I
    have no real right to judge you, I'm really no less guilty. I read... your
    case file. You got hooked on drugs. I did too."
    He went for the bottle of triazomine. He tossed it in the nearest garbage
    can. "I don't need that dependancy anymore. I'd rather have you. I'd rather
    have you than loneliness and lies," he said. She pulled him back down onto
    the couch. "You mean it?" she asked. "I do." She reached her arms around him.
    "Jack... I like you too. Maybe all I needed was someone who cared about me.
    No one ever did."
    8:13 PM
    Shriek turned off the television. "TV's boring," she said, tossing away
    the remote. "It's dark out. Let's turn the lights off." She began making
    out with him, a favor he quickly returned. He stopped, however, as she began
    removing her shirt. "What is it?" she asked. "Umm, nothing really, just-"
    "Oh. Never done this?" He shook his head. She whispered something in his
    ear. Again, he shook his head.
    "Don't be afraid. Just lay back..." "It's not that I don't want to, but,
    well-" She pulled her shirt back down, turning the lamp back on. "Just a bit
    shy?" "Yeah," he said. "It's definitely not you."
    She curled up against him, her arms wrapped around him. "I guess that was a
    bit quick. Hope you don't think I'm some slut, "she said. "Of course not,"
    he replied. "Well, there's nothing saying we can't make out, is there? Then
    just fall asleep in each other's arms?"
    "I'd like that," he replied. "Okay... don't get me wrong, we are going to
    have sex. I've decided that already. I know you want to. Just let me know
    when."
    Friday, May 31st. 1:12 PM
    Jack let Cletus in the room. "I may have a slight problem," he said.
    "Let me guess. Gas prices going up," he replied, sarcastically. He knew
    why Jack had called him. "All right, so you and Shriek are definitely on
    each other's... I always knew the whole immortality thing would catch up to
    us. They still have the serum," he said.
    "The problem is, how do I tell her? That she'd have to become immortal
    just to be with me. I don't think she'd turn me down, but I saw her look
    in the mirror. I think she might want to be cured one day. Have her skin
    changed back. If she becomes immortal, that can't happen!" he shouted.
    "That could be a problem. Hey, I don't know, you think she looks fine?"
    "Yes, but, I can't make her look like that if she doesn't want to!" he
    said. "That's something you'll have to talk with her about. I can't decide
    this for you."
    1:46 PM, Kafka Institution
    Jack had told Shriek the truth. He had spilled everything. And the moment
    of truth was something he was not looking forward to. "So, let me get this
    straight," she said. "I can become immortal, like you, and we can stay
    together forever. So, what's the big question here? Of course I'd do it!"
    "Well, there's a slight problem. There's no guarantee the serum will work,"
    he said. "It may not be compatible with your DNA, the serum might have even
    started to break down... we're not even fully sure the immortality will last.
    We won't know until we live long enough to find out. So, it's still your
    call. Best thing to do would be to take a blood sample first, make sure the
    stuff will effectively bond with your DNA... then hope."
    "All right. Tell them they can take the blood. How long will the test take?"
    she asked. He replied, "about thirty minutes."
    2:18 PM
    Cletus knocked on the mirror. Jack went to the door. Cletus waved him in
    the back room. "Good news. Perfect bond with her DNA. They don't see any
    problems," Cletus explained. Jack entered the room, explaining the test
    results to her. She was excited. General Peterson entered the room with two
    lab assistants. She held out her arm as the proper dosage was injected. It
    was the final time a drug would ever be pumped into her veins. The past
    would remain there. Shriek had now become a new person.
    3:24 PM
    Dr. Kafka had finished a lengthy interview with Shriek. General Peterson's
    idea. This was a hearing to officially release her. The hearing was officially
    over. She had found no legitimate reason to keep Shriek as a patient, and
    the General was willing to offer a full pardon against all her past crimes.
    "I'm going to need certain personal information which I don't have to finish
    this form. I'll need your name, you've given two..."
    "Sandra Deel. That's my name. The other one I gave was a lie. You'll need
    my birthday. May 11, 1977," she said. Dr. Kafka finished filing the release
    papers. "That's it. Sandra Deel, you are officially declared sane and are
    free to go," she said, handing over a copy of the release paper. "You can pick
    up any personal belongings at the main entrance." Shriek left, Jack following.
    General Peterson stood beside the desk with a smug look on his face. "You
    don't like me, do you, General?" she asked. "No," he answered. "I get the
    impression Cletus doesn't either,' she said. "Probably not," he replied.
    "And you're going to become a thorn in my side, treating my patients your
    own way..."
    He smiled, simply saying, "oh yeah!"
    3:41 PM, Jack's hotel room
    Shriek tossed the box of belongings on the bed. She merely had two suits,
    both of which she'd had on in previous arrests. She pulled them out. "Which
    do you like better, the full body suit, or the more revealing one?" she
    asked. "I don't know. I didn't get to see you in the full body one. I do
    like what you're wearing now though..."
    "How would you like me out of them?" she asked. She gently turned him,
    pinning him against the wall. Only the situation was a lot friendlier than
    last time. Jack began kissing her this time, which surprised her, but she
    had no arguments. "Not that I don't like the bab girl act, but remember what
    I said... behave, and you'll be rewarded."
    She was curious. "Okay. Sounds good. We can wait..."
    Friday, June 21st. 3:08 PM, General Peterson's offices, Manhattan
    Cletus entered the office. It had been a slow month. Aside from his usual
    routine of busting up drug dealers, murderers, rapists, wife beaters, and
    child abusers, nothing aout of the ordinary had happened. "So, why'd you call
    me?" he asked. "Jack wanted to get ahold of you, actually. He had something
    to tell you. Though before he does, he's effectively retiring. He'll still
    be under our employee, but off the active duty list. You'll be on your own,
    unless you'd want a partner," the General explained.
    "No. I think I can handle this myself," he replied.
    3:22 PM, Jack's hotel room
    Cletus knocked. He was let in shortly after. "General said you had something
    to tell me," he said. "I do. That is, we do. Sandra, you tell him." "Jack
    asked me to marry him. We're getting married in two weeks!"
    "Not bad. General told me you were being taken off active duty, I figured
    this was why," he said. "Yeah, he's also giving us a house. A mansion in
    Vermont. He'd had it built for himself about a year ago, but he never moved
    in. No one's lived there, actually, and the land it's on is officially US
    Army restricted land, so no one can bug us. It's about twenty acres in the
    forest, no one can bother us. We would like you to come to the ceremony,
    too. You and the General are all we know, really."
    "I'll be there," he said. He began to hand the coat to Jack. He'd had it
    for over a month. "Tell you what, you keep it," Jack told him. "You'll
    need it."
    "I left the hotel shortly after that. Jack had his life back, so did Shriek.
    But I had to find mine, still. Regardless of the past. I'd never forget the
    past, only in the hope I'd never make those mistakes again. There was still
    work to be done. But the past year had been good for me, helped me settle
    many things, sweep the skeletons from the closet. These days are now over...
    but even as I continue walking down the streets of my old home I realize
    something. The old days may pass by, the old times gone... but is _NEVER_ over!"
    Notes: Basically set in the Marvel Universe, I will be using a lot of my own continuity
    for this series, and generally focus on the main characters. Appearances by Marvel's
    universe will be special occurrences. Crossovers with characters/titles from other companies
    will be treated as "single universe", not as "2 universes crossing temporarily". I will
    also try to ignore major Marvel comic story arcs. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and other Marvel
    characters are copyright Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. Other characters are either my
    creation(copyright myself), or copyright their specific owners if non-Marvel licensed
    characters. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories.
    Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may
    not be altered, and especially **NOT TO BE SOLD**, unless Marvel wishes to license this
    series from me.
    


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